100 smiles

100 Things That Make Me Smile

1. Swings.
2. Dancing in the rain.
3. Friendships with people who feel like soul mates.
4. A hot drink on a cold, rainy day.
5. Most memories of my childhood, which aren’t really memories themselves but memories of the re-tellings my family has done. I have very few memories myself, but have a lot of great stories.
6. My sister .
7. … and my nephews (her sons).
8. My cat , usually, especially if she has found a rubber band or a box or a pom pom (pom poms are the best!).
9. First flowers of spring.
10. Cherry blossoms.
11. Being alone in a public place and not feeling lonely.
12. Good songs that pop up on my iPod when it’s on shuffle.
13. When I buy pants that are too loose (don’t hate me – this hasn’t happened in a long time).
14. Most forms of chocolate.
15. Phone calls from an old friend.
16. Unexpected re-connections with long-lost friends (thanks, Facebook!).
17. Knowing I am loved.
18. Feeling I am loved.
19. Falling in love.
20. Being in love.
21. Pink and orange and other colors I was never allowed to wear as a kid (back in the “Color Me Beautiful” phase of the 80s).
22. Giving gifts that people truly enjoy.
23. Making others smile.
24. Clean: kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, filing systems, etc (note I didn’t say “cleaning” but “clean”).
25. Things in alphabetical order (heck, I’d Library-of-Congress my DVD collection if I thought it would be easier to find stuff).
26. Fiction.
27. …and Truth.
28. Holding hands.
29. Not regretting choices I’ve made.
30. Being able to say no.
31. Summer days spent in a hammock.
32. Summer days that bring freckles but not sunburns.
33. The first days of fall when turtlenecks and flannel and sweaters all seem so romantic.
34. Getting out early, whatever it is (class, a seminar, church, meetings, work on Fridays or holidays).
35. Sunday morning drives.
36. Being able to pull my hair into a ponytail.
37. Pictures of my hair in elementary school and junior high.
38. When headaches go away.
39. New technology toys.
40. Holidays from work when they take me by surprise.
41. Apple orchards.
42. Silence in nature.
43. Climbing trees.
44. Bare feet in grass.
45. New nail polish.
46. The one summer and I had a standing “date” at Starbucks every Monday night.
47. Memories of what my home church was like when I went there.
48. S’mores and campfires.
49. Seafood.
50. Eating lunch at lunchtime.
51. Sunshine, especially on cold winter mornings.
52. Rainbows.
53. Arizona, all of it and anything that reminds me of it.
54. San Francisco, especially the stories and the memories of the summer of 1999.
55. Playing April Fool’s Day pranks on co-workers.
56. The cupcake / frosting incident at my last church – I love that everyone remembered that and brought it up as their favorite “Kelly memory” at my send-off.
57. Feeling free to be childish and silly.
58. Bookstores, especially on weekend nights or rainy days.
59. Sitting in windows.
60. Being appreciated for the work I do and not being taken for granted.
61. When people learn the things I teach them and don’t continually ask for help.
62. Being cavity-free at the dentist.
63. Wellbutrin.
64. My grandparents.
65. Letters from my grandma (but not talking on the phone or e-mails).
66. When people pronounce it PEE-can instead of pehcannnn.
67. Retro office supplies.
68. Good customer service.
69. Getting fancy-schmancy brand names on clearance (while they’re still cool).
70. Finding shoes in my size that don’t make my feet look like canoes.
71. Mosquito-free summers.
72. Lots of memories from college.
73. Watching the fireworks on July 4.
74. Apple crisp.
75. Paris (though I’ve never been there).
76. When people believe in me.
77. Fields of sunflowers.
78. Camping.
79. Graphic design.
80. Well-designed websites (with up-to-date content).
81. Dilbert (most days), and Opus (Outland) by Berkeley Breathed and Questionable Content.
82. Fleece.
83. Being cuddly.
84. .
85. Learning new things.
86. Labeling things, new filing systems, etc.
87. Khaki, beige, and brown-colored clothing.
88. The idea that I will not be at my current job for the rest of my life.
89. Romantic comedies.
90. Breathless Boston Cream Pie from Coldstone, and Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzards from DQ.
91. Not having to answer the phone at work.
92. Gerbera daisies.
93. That first seasonal drink from Starbucks (the first Pumpkin Spice Latte, the first Gingerbread Spice Latte, etc, all decaf of course).
94. Getting compliments on clothing items I made. (And making clothing items that actually fit, turn out well, and don’t look homemade.)
95. Our new house – what it is, and what it can be.
96. Quilting, which was a big surprise to me.
97. Spare time to indulge in hobbies – embroidery, sewing, quilting, playing the piano.
98. Making new internet friends.
99. You!

Updated October 2009