Happiness is......

Okay - so I  have an idea for a post.  

ummmm - well - a lot of folks, including my daughter Laura Beth, are doing Thankful lists.  Seriously, that blesses me. It does.  I especially love reading her list, naturally.  But, well, I haven't done that one - since - well - since Laura Beth is doing it.  And others.

Anyway -

Yesterday I was putting new ink cartridges into my printer - FINALLY! - and I had that "ahhhhh feeling of momentary contentment".  And I thought to myself, "Happiness is having brandnew ink cartridges in my printer".   It buys me more printing time.  So then I thought - what other insignificant things give me fleeting, momentary happiness. Things which I know will fade - yet it's in the moment.

Like......

Well - I'll number some.

Happiness is.......
1.  Having new ink cartridges in my printer.
2.  First cup of black coffee in the morning.
3.  Being in the black in our checkbook - (being in the red for us is really still in the black - but it means we're spending more than Charlie earns - borrowing from Peter to pay Paul - whatever that means - more like borrowing from Charlie to pay Charlie - or it could mean we're "shooting ourselves in the foot" - something like that)
4.  Empty House - just me
5.  Empty House - just Charlie and me -
6.  Full House with children and grandchildren
7.  Full House with friends  (See?  I want everything at the same time - I'm a very mixed up person)
8.  Coming home from Wal-Mart and I spent 30.00 or under.  Almost never happens.
9.  Gets to be 5:00 pm and my tummy's truly empty - as in I haven't grazed all day.
10.  Sticking to a diet and the scales go down.
11.  Waking up in the morning and the scales are down.
12.  Being done getting my teeth cleaned.
13.  No cavities or cracked teeth or anything having to be done.
14.  Working on projects.
15.  Sleeping baby.
16.  Smiling baby.
17.  All four of my girls being emotionally well.
18.  Watching the Waltons on TV in the early evening with Charlie (or by myself)
19.  Being at the movies with popcorn and diet coke.
20.  A glass of wine on an empty stomach in the late afternoon.
21.  My girls being happy - oops - I already said that - sorry - idol territory.
22.  Having Sunday lunch prepared and being very hungry after church.
23.  Friday night.
24.  Sunday night.
25.  A completed project that turned out well.
26.  Clean house.
27.  Waking up to a clean house.
28.  Putting on pajamas in the evening.
29.  The Beach.  The Coast.  Salt air.  Salt water.  White sand.  Clear sky. Seafood.
30.  Evergreen
31.  A Baby being born.
32.  Smell of a clean house.
33.  An entire day to work in the yard and not feel like I need to do something else instead.
34.  Noone mad at me.
35.  Someone liking me.
36.  The faces of my grandchildren when they burst through the door.
37.  I'm exhausted and I wave goodby to my grandchildren in the driveway.
38.  A song on 96.9 or 101.7 which takes me waaaaayyyyy back.  To high school.  To college.  To dating Charlie.
39.  Gladys Knight and the Pips - especially Midnight Train to Georgia.
40.  Phone call from an old friend.

Okay - that's 40.  I'm tired of doing this.  Maybe I'll do more later.

I'm sitting on my couch and I just glanced out the front window and I saw my magnolia tree and just the out of doors.  I love that.  Another happy moment.  I just looked up again and saw the evening news on TV and some reporter who is waist deep in muddy flood water.  I would NOT be happy about being there.

If I were that reporter I would be especially glad(happy) to get home from work that day and to get a bath - no - a shower.  I take showers.  So - if she were making a list she might list "getting home from wading waste deep in muddy water for a news report."

Okay - now on the news there are people who have suffered tragedies from this flooding around the country.  Awful stuff.

See?  If I can make a happy list instead of a thankful-in-the-midst-of-trials list, well, I'm not in a valley right now.  So for that I can be so glad - but trials come - don't they?

So - #41 on my "happiness is" list - 
Being able to count my momentary happiness things - and to be able to focus on them.


42.  Getting emails from friends and family.
43.  Getting a comment (very rare) on my blog post.

Well - I just can't seem to stop.