A Monday morning list of THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:
(in case you should need to send gifts)
1. books/reading/talking about books
2. Authors/talking with authors/hanging out with authors
3. guacamole and avocados in general
4. waffles
5. waffles and bacon
6. Dove chocolate squares (dark)
7. most things lemon-flavored
8. well-crafted and creative or vintage-inspired cocktails (fig Manhattan is currently top of the list, just above a three olive martini
9. going to the movies/movies in general
10. popcorn at the movies
11. sunsets
12. all things Ireland
13. red wine -- just not the really cheap stuff. I believe that once you are over 30 (and I am well over it) drinking 2 buck Chuck should go the way of too much spandex and tube tops.
14. yoga, some days
15. friends -- my old friends, my new friends, my author friends...
16. eggs/breakfast in general
17. coffee and real lattes made by people who know how
18. my wonder agent
19. the hubs -- he is not necessarily 19th on my list. But I believe if he ever reads this post, this will keep him humble and trying harder.
20. music -- pretty much everything depending on my mood-- including the new-agey stuff we listen to during shivasana (the part of yoga class where you just lie still for 5 minutes)
21. pizza
Note: I realize that food and drink comes up a lot on this list. No judgment. Specifically, Chicago deep dish from Lou Malnati's or Gino's East. And thin crust from my own kitchen. (Yes, I make a mean thin crust.)
22. New York City
23. my brilliant editors (they too belong higher on the list!)
24. food trucks
(Yup. There I go again with the food.)
25. genre fiction, including but not limited to the Joss Whedonverse
26. making lists and checking off the things I complete. (It is a family trait. What can I say?)
27. sandwiches -- esp with bacon and guac
28. both the ocean and the mountains
29. road trips
30. Yellowstone National Park
31. people watching/having strangers tell me their life stories. (it happens. ALL THE TIME)
32. son, daughter in law, our family in general
33. our crazy basset/boxer mix rescue dog
34. the beach/driving Highway 1 in CA
35. SCBWI LA conference (which I am missing this year!)
36. Holidays -- pretty much all holidays, even Groundhog Day. Thanksgiving is way up there.
37. Chicago hot dogs. Yes, yes, I know. Food. What can I tell you? This means a poppy seed bun and a Vienna beef frank with neon relish and mustard and onions and sport peppers. NO KETCHUP. EVER. And please, no mayo. When we first moved to Texas someone who is still my good friend put out mayo at a bbq where we were having hot dogs. I about fainted. And not the good fainting. Check out Super Dawg to see what I mean.
38. Houston Livestock and Rodeo/my cowgirl boots (which I wear to the Rodeo and other places)
39. planning trips even if I end up not taking them. Yes, I am a great armchair traveler. I'm a great actual traveler, too...
40. Writing. Writing. Telling stories. Writing.
What makes you happy?
I love this list. It makes me happy just reading it! ~Jamie D
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS LIST!! I love you! Have I told you my life story yet?
ReplyDeleteHahaha, lots of mine are the same as yours. Reading, writing, having someone who will WILLINGLY let me rant about books (like my grandparents' aid person, whom I met this morning, and recommended 3 books to -- one of which of course was DA), talking about fictional characters as if they were real, reading a book and not finding a single grammatical error, perfect spines and un-bent corners on books, Wendy's, IHOP (where I'm going tomorrow! Yay!), hershey's kisses, dark chocolate, playing hide & seek with my cousins -- especially when it takes them half and hour to find me, shopping, baking, taking random pictures, any and all dogs, the smell of books (why a kindle can never compare...), music, finding money on the floor, seeing someone buy a book you've read and last but not least, having & telling people about my weird and awesome dreams (did I mention the one with the red jello monsters? Or the blue were-dinosaur that was chasing me? How about when Stephen Fry and I were scientists and he tried to slap me with a severed hand?).
ReplyDeleteAnd of other news, at B&N today I bought SOLSTICE by P J Hoover, SEND by Patty Blount and THE CAGED GRAVES by Dianne Salerni...so as you can see, your blog hasn't influenced my reading habits AT ALL ;)