Things that Make Me Happy

I've been tagged by Christella at Meandering Moody Memories to list 10 things that make me happy.  I recently discovered her blog - she is an extraordinary woman who writes about her life that has been filled with such rich experiences- she is well worth checking out!
I'm finding it difficult to limit myself to only 10 things, as these days I am incredibly blessed and content with a wonderful life...I'm not rich with material things, but am a gazillionaire when it comes to the things that I count as important!  Finding the world of blogging has to be added to my list somewhere, even if it makes my list longer than 10...although I've only been at it a short time, my life has been so enriched by those that I have "met"...sharing and encouraging, laughing and crying...good days and not-so-good days...it's wonderful to share my life with you, and thank you for sharing yours with me!

So here goes:

1.  Sitting on my back steps with a fresh cup of coffee in the morning, watching the sky wake up!
2.  Playing with my watercolors...and watching something come into existence that was previously only held within my mind....
3.  Splashing in rain puddles...I love the fact that part of me is still a little kid...and that I have had plenty of puddles to splash in lately!
4.  Long, hot showers...This is where I do my best thinking....
5.  Working with children and young people...they always teach me so much more than I teach them!
6.  Travel - I'd be hard-pressed to choose which makes me happier - the planning and researching a trip, or actually taking the trip...there is so much out there in the world that excites me and that I want to experience...to see the sights, smell the smells, taste the tastes, hear the different languages...right now, I'm planning a trip to Italy next July with my dear sister...her first trip abroad....we've already purchased our tickets to hear Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany!  I hear Paris calling me....maybe I can squeeze in a few days in my favorite city along the way!
7.  My daughter and her family......I could go on and on about this....
8.  Good food, good wine and good friends are a combination that fills my cup!
9.  The ocean...the smell of the air, the feel of the sand and the sound of the waves....never fails to make me smile!
10.  School....I am one of the few people that I know who has had the opportunity to be living their dream! I rather expect that I will be taking classes for as long as I am able...whether or not they lead to a degree....I love to learn!t ing
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6.  Meandering Moody Memories

It's Almost Over....

...my undergraduate coursework, that is!  Yep, I started my LAST SEMESTER this week....slogged through the rainy days to the classrooms.......AND talked my favorite math professor into allowing me to add to her class (and thereby dropping the mean math professor's class)...I only had to promise to help her grade her homework and tests from a lower-division math course (I was prepared to offer her my next-born grandchild)!  Just think...in May, I'll be one of many "gowned up" for commencement exercises...I wasn't going to participate, and then realized that I had earned it.....so, I'll be "walking" with the masses, and enjoying every second of it!  

....then on the the Credential Program...can you tell I'm excited?

Sick....

Arrgh!  Just when I thought that I was going to escape the flu season unscathed, it hit.  And I'm miserable....I don't do sick well - at all.  I'm in the FOURTH day of this junk, and have had enough!  School starts again for me on Tuesday - I'd better be better by then!  I have to stop and put it into perspective before I go stark raving mad....I know that there is an end to his, and that I could have it much worse.  So I'm stopping the complaining and starting to be grateful that it's JUST the flu and nothing more serious.

On a lighter note, I got some pics from Emma's 3rd birthday party...still haven't found the cable to my camera, but got these from Elizabeth....it was a lot of work putting it together, but so much fun!  I'm so glad that we get to do these things together!  My daughter has such a creative flair that I am in awe of her....I just show up and do the crafty and cooking things at her instruction...It was a Pink Princess Tea Party to be remembered!  I just wonder how she is going to top it for next year!

The Pink Princess Cake - Strawberry cake, of course!

Pink Macaroni & Cheese

Cupcakes

Food table

Front Door

Front Porch

Tea Party Set - One of many!

Back Deck

Driving her Barbie car...thanks Grandpa!

Decorating teapot cookies

Even the boys dressed up for the party!

A good friend even dressed for the occasion and did a story book reading!

And the kids loved it!

The birthday girl...

Baby Sister Ashlyn in matching outfit!

And a good time was had by all!

It's Been One of Those Days....

......I learned how to fix my broken toilet........it only took three trips to the hardware store.

I did laundry......and left the lid off of the liquid detergent when I went to answer the phone.....the cat jumped up on the machine and knocked down the open detergent bottle onto the floor....long story short, my laundry area's floor is so clean that you CAN eat off of it!

I'm working on a birthday project for Emma, who turns 3 next week.  She's a "girly girl" who loves ballet, princesses and the color pink.  I have an old, antique doll crib that I bought when Elizabeth was the same age....I never did get around to doing anything with it.  I dragged it out of the garage, disassembled the pieces, and am in the middle of painting them white.  I am also sewing bed linens for the crib......using the same fabrics that Elizabeth used for Emma's bed.

Am I struggling?  You betcha!  It's been YEARS since I've sewn....and my fingers are not as nimble as they used to be....I've tussled with my sewing machine, and the comforter is almost finished (just a bit of hand sewing to do)!  Next up was the "mattress"....I had the brilliant idea to lay cotton batting over the piece of wood that comprises the bottom of the crib, cover it with fabric and to staple it to the underside of the wood piece.  Good idea in theory, but I got something totally different than I expected when I finished the stapling part.....

I tried to pick it up from the dining room table......it wouldn't move.....(my closest friends will not be surprised by this...) I HAD STAPLED IT TO THE TABLE! ... and although I took pictures, I now can't find the cable to connect to my camera to download them to my computer!

 I don't care what time it is.....I think I'm finished for the day and am going to pour myself a glass of wine!