Thursday, August 28, 2008

Well, obviously I have the most severe case of end-of-the-summer lethargy in history! I believe I still have lots of fascinating insights and spellbinding stories about my laundry and the front porch and stuff like that, but I just haven't been able to summon up the energy to dazzle you with my stories.

So anyway, I was tagged by Jen again, this time a meme about 6 things that make me happy. And that's enough to get me posting again, since I didn't have to think of a topic.

Here goes (the obvious things - Gus, Matthew, sisters, Dad, cousin Beth, Aunt Jane, Uncle Rob, dear friends - I will skip because, well, that's obvious) in no particular order:

1. Psych! I lied! I couldn't skip this, because (cue upswell of sappy music) it's what makes me happier than anything and everything else combined:

(I'm talking about Gus, not the deep-water band, though that did make me very happy.)

2.  But there's also this (Vermont, in general):

I've always loved our annual visits to Vermont, but this year the Northeast Kingdom made us all fall more deeply in love. The quiet, the mega-NATURE-y quality of everything made this suburban girl want to move there immediately.

3.  These (representative sampling below, big Funny and kitten Nuts watching BirdTV):
I've always been a dog person. I loved my ker-AZY Huwie and was convinced that dogs were the way to go. Cats were aloof and snooty - what was the point? But then we brought home Silly and Funny from the SPCA, and I was hooked. They (and Nuts and Caroline) make me laugh out loud every day. They're sweet and loving and goofy and inexplicable. And I have become the crazy Cat Lady.

3. This (in general):
The chance to fry my brain on something crazy like this makes me happy. Knitting's so much a fabric of my life it's hard to remember what it was like when I didn't knit.

This (in particular):

Who knew you could do something you absolutely love and get a little $$ for it too?

3.  This (the Phillies in general, not Chris Coste in particular):
Being a Phillies fan has been a huge part of my life since 1974 - Tommy Hutton and Willie Montanez and blessed Mike Schmidt - I was done for. And even though for every Bull Luzinski there's been a Danny Tartabull, and only one World Championship in all those 34 years, there's always this:
And it never fails to make me happy.

4. Oh this:

The only thing better than a good sea yarn is TWENTY-ONE of them, one right after another!! Patrick O'Brian captured my imagination this year like the Sophie captured the Cacafuego! You know?! Having a great book to curl up with before bed makes me very happy.

5. This:

The beach at Amagansett. Our annual wintry trips to this desolate stretch at the end of Long Island recharge my emotional batteries every time. Thank you, Aunt Jane, for letting us share this.

6. Who loves a paint job, big or small? I DO!!! When we moved to our house every room was white. Two years later, I had taken care of that. This summer I painted the back patio concrete tiles (I will paint anything!), the foundation of the house - three times! ( 1) too pink, 2) too orange, 3) just right!), the window and door trim, the front porch, and now I'm primering the clapboards so I can paint the whole shebang outside.
Aaaaaaaaaah - painty goodness.

So there are a few (of the many many) things that make me happy. Now you tell me 6 things that make you happy in the comments! It's Happy Time!!

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about this:
1. Diana 2. Laura 3. Sarah 4. Gus 5. Charlie 6. Grace. That's six winners right there! Or if you want to bunch them, I could add Princeton, the old Philadelphia Athletics, the Phillies, history in general, writing history, and maybe the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin novels (just to get in line with Momogus).

8:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obviously, in my list last evening, Numbers 1 through 6 are in order of seniority. (How could Gracie be on the bottom of any list?) And, inadvertently, I left out - - Welsh corgis. Old Huwee was a super-fine doggie, good with anything from tennis balls to cowboy hats, and Owain is just as excellent. And I must say that the four cats living on Laurel Lane are loads of fun. And the operas of Wagner have to fit in there somewhere.

9:49 AM  
Blogger CurlyGirl said...

ok, you do realize that you listed three number 3s? Clearly you're ability (or inability!) to count to 6 isn't one of the things that make you happy! Ok, ok, i'm turning down the sarc-o-meter.

Let's see.

1. My family. Can't put into words.
2. Owain, Earl and Vivian. Like you said, these guys make me laugh AT LEAST once a day. Their companionship and insanity bring a lot of light to my daily life!
3. Cathy. Friends just don't come any better than Cathy. She makes me laugh, puts up with my crying (which happens a LOT!), she's a wonderful travel companion, loves my non-budget conscious ways, is always there for me. She just gets me and seems to love me just the way I am. You can't ask for more than that. I love you!
4. My swim club. I have loved going there this summer. I just hope Michael Phelps, who's bought it with his coach (if the rumors are true), doesn't mess it up.
5. Making cakes. I haven't been able to do much cake-making in Baltimore. My oven is terrible. But I loved my little business in Jenkintown. It is my lottery dream to open a little bakery in Jenkintown where I can make my cakes. Just thinking about it makes me happy.
6. Diet Canada Dry Ginger Ale (even better with Smirnoff Watermelon Vodka!), my kitchenAid stand mixer, America's Next Top Model, cuteoverload.com, Barack Obama, Jenkintown, AFS, iTunes, Cathy's boys, those donuts that Uncle Frank gets, the Olympics, Top Chef, Beth visiting for Preakness (only she would come down NOT to see the race but to watch the kerrrazy shananigans from my front porch!), a cool fresh breeze, Jenkintown azaleas in the Spring, welsh cookies...

that'll do for now.

11:20 AM  
Blogger Cat said...

Um, miss Laura. You have SOME nerve picking on poor GG - you have 16 number 6's!!

Does that mean we can all have 22? I'm just trying to be fair.

I'll play by the rules.

#1 - Da boys. I have NO complaints. Well, except that I want all of them to live here forever.

#2 - BD - even though I threaten to divorce him at LEAST twice a day (sometimes just in my head) I wouldn't change a thing if I had it to do over. WELL, maybe just a few things. Maybe. (he is sitting behind me flipping the channels on the tv...he's practically an attorney, he watches so many Law and Order episodes.)

#3 - MY LAURA! She is the BEST friend I have - and like a sister to me. Even though she got me into ALOT of trouble at Tulane....just kidding! I wish she lived next door - and I would build the bakery with her. We could bake and laugh all day...and walk dogs of course.

#4 - Having a hot cup of coffee at 5 am - all by myself. Sometimes on the sofa, sometimes outside.

#5 - BAKING! Which is why I am not a size 6 (and never will be).

#6 - My life. It's good.

9:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

gg - I am Number One! I am Number One!

gg - oh, it was chronological.....

cg - it's my lottery dream to have the Compound (you, me, Dad, Sarah, Beth and Cathy?), but now it will have to be in St Johnsbury Vermont. You can still have The Lazy Bakery there! Also, you made me realize I left off "Top Chef". And "The Office". and "Columbo". And Salt N Vinegar potato chips. And a good road trip with you.

NB - i love your #5! (and I think cg was making fun of me - I DID have 3 #3s - oops!) and your #3, of course. And I would have to add your Facebook photo albums to my list now. They could be another #3!

7:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Diana, you're always Number One in my book, even if in a tie with several others!

10:16 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home