Twenty-FiveThings That Make me Smile

Before me is a blank computer screen and it needs to be filled up with words about what I’ve been doing, seeing or thinking. The problem is I haven’t done much of anything except work on the makeover project in my old guest room. I'm turning it into a multipurpose room where I can paint, sew, quilt, read and still---on rare occasions---host an overnight guest. But it’s time to write my weekend blog which means I need to look at writing prompts to kick start the process or I'll still be sitting here ramble writing until the cows come home.

I found a prompt that reads: “If I could talk to my teenage self, the one thing I would say is______.” That would be short essay. I’d tell my teenage self to cut my mom some slack. We were both hormonal at the same time---her going through “the change of life” and me “becoming a woman” as they said back in those days. As most mothers and daughters do, we butted heads a few times over stupid stuff but she was good mom and I still miss her whenever I can't spell a word.

On to the next writing prompt: Make a list of twenty-five things that make you smile. Okay, I can do that. It will get hard around the halfway mark---lists like that always do---but I can accomplish this blogger’s challenge. (Can you?)

#1. The panda cam Facebook posts by Doxie M. Panda make me smile. It’s been over a year since I friended her and I’m still not tired of Bei Bei the baby panda and his mom. He's at the stage now where he tries to sit up but he falls over backwards.

#2. Levi my mighty Schnauzer makes me smile when he leans his body against my leg as I sit at the computer. He can be sweet and ‘sweet’ gets me every time.

#3. I smile when I finish something creative like a knitting or quilting project and I’m sure I’ll smile when I finish this list. 

#4. I also smile at baby photos of the great-great generation of my family on Facebook. Such sweet, innocent faces how could you not smile? Though I will admit a shared a gene pool does up the amps on the sweetness scale.

#5 through #13. I smile when I eat Diana’s Bananas Babies with dark chocolate, Bryers tiramisu gelato, rib-eye steaks, tomatoes, Endangered Species Chocolate and pretzel rolls, and when I drink Coney Island hard root beer, Starbucks caramel macchiatos and grasshoppers.

#14, #15 and #16. Is there anyone who doesn’t smile when Pharrell Williams sings Happy? You can’t help it. I also smile when I hear Singin’ in the Rain. That song reminds me of my dad and thinking of him brings on my happy face.

#17 through #20. And how could I forget that I smile when I see my two nieces, my nephew and the son-I-wish-I-had. They all grew up to be such neat people and it’s fun to be around them. They make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

#21. I wish this writing prompt was about things that make me laugh instead of what makes me smile. Laughter would be easier. I could start making stuff up like I smile at sun rises. They used to but I haven’t seen one in ages so I don’t know if they still make me smile. I do smile at the giant blue iridescent butterflies I see when I do my annual, spring pilgrimage to see the Butterflies in Bloom exhibit. I go in honor of my husband’s birthday and our anniversary.

 

#22. When one of my blogger friends has a new entry to read, I smile. I love it when I can spend the first hour of my morning reading blogs while I drink my first cup of organic coffee---yes, it does taste better than regular. I've been hooked on it since Christmas.

#23 and #24. I smile whenever I get a chance to see one of my two all-time favorite movies: In Pursuit of Honor and A River Runs Through it.

#25. And finally, I smile when I stand in the doorway to my new room---my future art studio/guest room. The sleeper chair is due to be delivered on Wednesday. I can hardly wait. ©