Little things that make you happy?

I was reading Lost in a Good Book last night and came across these sentences: "Lush knew what Flanker meant and Flanker knew that Lush knew. I knew that Flanker and Lush knew it and they both knew that I knew it too." So silly and delightful. It made me giggle and just have a happy moment, quietly reading in my library, sitting in my comfy chair that my friend had upholstered for me. I've been in such a dark place for quite a few months lately, and it's lovely to feel like I'm coming out the other side, feeling happy again, getting this great job, enjoying life again.

It got me thinking about our current discussions about super powers and views from windows and I wondered about things that make you happy.

Snuggles

Snuggles with hubby at night as we go to sleep. After 20 years, we still spoon.

Snuggles with Maia, our little white fluff of a dog. She's so warm and white with black eyes and nose and pink tongue.

Crisp autumn mornings and the blank pages of new notebooks with the potential for greatness yet to be disproven.

England

Maps

Navy blue and orange football jerseys

Ooo, yes, and maps.

And purple.

Has nobody mentioned "chocolate" yet?
My, we are being PC!

Kissing

naps on the couch

visibly happy dogs and cats

my titanium spork

bison

pecan pie

strong hands

The smell of fresh baking in my kitchen.

The breeze off the ocean.

The colors of autumn.

>8 Glassglue: I read titanium 'spock' and thought that I would also like that very much.

Sunshine

Green trees and leaves and grass

Finishing things

Being Right

Endorphins after exercise - of whatever form ;-)

#4? All of england including those grotty suburban bits? or the concept of england?

>12 reading_fox:
The England that caused you to use the word grotty.

New fabric, just waiting to be cut up and rearranged into beautiful patterns for quilts.

Fresh-picked ripe tomatoes still warm from the sun.
My husband.
My garden.
My cat.
A new book by a favourite author (Cryoburn by LM Bujold - October 19!)
Jars of jams, jellies and pickles, made by me, sitting on the table.
LibraryThing.
And lots of other things :)

raindeer frying on hot rock after a busy day picking berries
northern light
cold and white winter days
spending time with my family in DK
little kids discovering the joy of books
reading a great book with Mitsu (my cat) on my lap

A quiet, comfortable place and a good book.
Thinking about all the wonderful things I have.

A hug from my daughter.
The smell of baby feet.
A dog's head in my lap.
Waking up before anyone else and reading.
Crepes Suzette.

a hard day's work during which I accomplished a lot of things that needed to be done
back massage from my boyfriend
fresh garden veggies, especially tomatoes
perfectly ripe peaches and nectarines
a good night's sleep

This is a list I'm slowly putting together of 100 things that make me happy:

A barrel of impatiens
A binder full of artist trading cards
A new book by a favorite author
A window shelf of glass bottles and vases
Big white sanctuary at WCC (my church)
Butt bugs (goosing/be goosed by MrMorphy)
Checking the last item off a list
Christina Aguilera (songs by)
Christmas Carols
Christmas lights
Crocheting
Cross stitching
Crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with an ice cold glass of milk
Cuddling with Maia
Disney World in Orlando
Foot rubs
Getting A's
Getting books from the library
Gospel music
Hugs with MrMorphy
Joyful Joyful from Sister Act 2 (song)
MrMorphy being The Fabulous Mr. Fix-it
MrMorphy singing to me
Light hearted romances like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and You've Got Mail
Pixar movies
Playing Gemstone (online role playing game)
Reading a really good book
Snuggling with MrMorphy at Night
Stargazer lilies
Starting classes for college
Swimming pools
The Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey
The movie Practical Magic
The sound of rain
The TV show Glee
The website LibraryThing.com
Twist and Shout by The Beatles (song)
Urban Fantasy novels
Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves (song)
Watching Maia do "zooms"
Winter sunrises - all pale pink, blue, purple

Lou, my sweet hubby, blowing out his 70th Bday candles last night and having so much joy for life.
10 blackbirds playing in the freshly filled birdbath.
The four dogs happy to see me every minute of every day.
300+ books in the TBR pile.
Most of last night's choc-mocha cake still in fridge.

My kitten Merlin.
When I click shuffle on my ipod and one of my favorite songs comes on.
Lilies and Lilacs.
Climbing our old Oak tree.
The tv shows Glee, House, Big Bang Theory, and Doctor Who.
Movies, mostly romance.
The Secret Garden.
LibraryThing
Rain and Thunder storms.
A good play.
Oh, and the board game Apples to Apples.

Looking at the Hurricane Earl thread, I'm reminded to be happy that I live in an area that ...

hasn't seen a glacier in 300 million years (no frost in winter!)
is on one of the most stable continental plates on Earth -- the last 'quake was in 1969 at the other end of the country
rarely sees cyclones (last one in 1987)
It would be paradise, but for the other inhabitants!

The wacky crap my husband says
Really nice yarn and a challenging pattern
Books I don't want to put down
Buster Posey hitting a double
Georgian polyphony
Redwoods
Thai iced tea
Jesse Pinkman saying "yo!"
Pete Campbell saying "a thing like that!"
Roger Federer's serve. And his hair.
Gotta go with the Beatles Twist & Shout, too, morphy, that's a good one. John was a stud.
Zito's curveball
Laughing with my goofy friends
Emma Kirkby singing anything
Sound of water - creeks, rain, ocean, whatever
The pork tenderloin at Les Halles in NYC.
Watching MST3K with my husband
Stone fruits (almost over!)

Lately: Posts 12 and 13

I don't know if I can explain this, and I hope I don't offend, but as I drive to work at 5am, I listen to the BBC on our public radio. I know it's just my silly American ears, but often the broadcasters sound like Monty Python to me. Some more than others. Anyway, the other morning (it was not going to be a nice day at work), one was being particularly MPish and interviewing someone when the connection was broken. It sounded as if the person being interviewed almost made a sort of "glorf" sound, and the broadcaster said, "Oh! We've lost (name)! I don't know, but I could just see a sketch of a giant sized foot coming down on the poor fellow's head! Then, a few minutes later, it happened to another person being interviewed. Hard to explain, but it made me happy.

Kitten Kisses, purrs or headbuts from my Taji & Tilly :)

Curling up with a book on the couch.

Seeing the progress of my new garden :)

& so much more I'm sure :)

peter dinklage

MrAndrew

hey!

#28 & #29

Too much information!

I like Morphy's idea of 100 things so, to start: a really good book which "grips" me, breeze through the leaves on a warmish summer evening; the smiles on children's faces when I walk into the room; Christmas Day; freshly fallen snow; quiet; really, really quiet; a freshly mowed lawn with smells of cut grass; and....I'll get back to you.

Standing by the water and just letting my senses tune in to the things around me. The sounds of surf and wind. The feel and rhythm of it. The smell of the ocean.

dark chocolate mousse

anything pretty and peaceful.

1) {censored}
2) {censored}
3) {censored}
4) {censored}
5) {censored}

Fresh bread

Poor Will, Australia's pretty hard on free speech, I guess! ;)

Well... They weren't family friendly... :P

Arriving home from a long day and finding a packet with books waiting for me...

Watching my dog tear around in circles, just being goofy. Watching a cat or kitten play. A cat purring - especially on my lap. Seeing birds at my feeder in the winter. Hoarfrost on a sunny day. The smell of a black spruce bog on a hot day (sphagnum moss and labrador tea). Morning or evening sun on the mountains. Standing on a mountain top. Running a rapid. Backcountry camping, when the nearest road is many miles away. Fresh snow. A new book by a favourite author, or finding a new favourite author.

I agree with #28! And "Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt 3" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads always makes me happy :-)

Winning an Early Reviewer book makes me happy! This time it's Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer.

Those very blue skies with big white fluffy clouds that are quite low down, like Rene Magritte painted in his Empire of Light pictures.

When the Canada geese fly over my parents house (due any day now) and I am there to see them fly over. They make such a noise, we hear them before they are near the houes and have time to get outside.

Getting all the boxes of decorations out of the hall cupboard so we can start putting up the Christmas tree.

When someone gets a word slightly wrong, you know what they mean and you know they were almost right but not quite. Like the time my neighbour told me she had an anthraxed ceiling. Joy! Malapropisms and Eggcorns and the like are wonderful things for making me happy.

Yesterday I left my car in for some work. When I got it back, my window scraper was missing. It's of little value, except my late father gave it to me when he stopped driving. He got it back in the 1960s.

I just dismissed it as one of those things and only mentioned it in passing to my daughter.

Today she went to the garage where the work was done and asked them if they knew where it was. They couldn't find it, but gave her another scraper for me.

The fact that my daughter thought enough of my emotional link with a piece of metal, rubber and plastic, to go in search of it for me, made me happy. (That sentence could be interpreted so badly if taken out of context.)

The garage also came out of this well.

Reading all these posts.

A really good cup of coffee...with Irish Cream in it ;-)

Our dog Pippin when he greets me at the door.

Vancouver Island, the ocean, Parksville beach, Tofino.

A chai latte at Starbucks.

Curling up with a good book in a quiet house.

A lovely wood burning fire (preferably in a fireplace!).

Used bookstores that deal in antique books.

Turner Classic Movie channel and/or old movies.

Time spent with my daughters.

Mt. Baldy and the sand dunes at Lake Michigan

the Moog synthesizer in "Star Collector"

instant international communication

Learning what an Eggcorn is.
Would my use of "flounder" rather than "founder" qualify? I still maintain that it is a valid substitution, as it describes flopping about aimlessly without direction.

Dreaming about making some new food, then making it. I made a cake in my dream last night that will probably become a reality tomorrow. Strawberry sauce, whipped cream and a vanilla egg-based cake batter.

Also, mulling over a set of ingredients until they become a recipe to try.

#47 - flounder counts for me, I use it the same way, and knowing that I'm doing it doesn't help to stop me.

#47 & #48
Something fishy going on there!

Three day weekends!

My son's reaction an hour ago when I gave him a copy of the just published fifth Skulduggary Pleasant book.

Skulduggery Pleasant 5 Mortal Coil

Using just 22.5 hours of holiday entitlement to get a full week away from work.

Three letters. Kfc.

Living on top of a 200 (maybe) foot pile of fossils and being able to look at a stone that has been cracked open and knowing that I am, at that moment in time, the only person to have seen that history and beauty being brought out to the light. It feels to me like that interior has just been born and I get a piece of it before it get dirty and fades.

And coming home from work, myself dirty and faded, to find my Pip sitting in the hall waiting for me to open the door, and Charlie running to put the kettle on for me and my chair waiting to lift my throbbing feet off the floor.

And finding that I have read half a book and am loving it and not wanting to go to bed and knowing that I don't have to and I can keep on reading.

Among other things. I love malapropisms too, they're like mussing the hair of a stuffy word.

Cats, kittens and friends who love them too.

descriptivists

probably all the censored things Will mentioned

The same ones? Ooh, that's... interesting to know... 0_0

:-)

I was very happy this afternoon, when Andrew rang the new dog groomer to confirm the time and get directions.

He rang the wrong one and the conversation went something like this:

Him: This is Mr Readseverything, I want to check the directions for bringing in my dog.
Groomer: What time are you due?
Him: 2pm.
Groomer: Are you Anita?
Him: No, I'm not Anita, I'm Mr Readseverything.
Me: *snerk*

I mean, they were probably just going by the time in the diary and hadn't listened to his name, but he doesn't sound like an Anita to me.

Just made me happy. Guess what I've been calling him all day :-D

I just mowed my lawn, front and back, and I trimmed around the edges and all this after I moved junk, I mean stuff, out of the dining room and I have almost set up as it "should be". Big table all cleared off and shiny after a lovely oil polishing. It reminds me of my grandmother's, or my great aunt's, but actually my grandmother never had a table like that, and I never had a great aunt. It is all my fantasy but it is good looking. I am loving my new home and I am making progress in getting settled in. Now I am going to go shampoo the dining room carpet.

Ah, a nice clean carpet, just like Cousin Erma used to have...

*giggle* Sorry, Maggie. couldn't resist.

Cee Lo Green's new single makes me happy at the moment. It's so danged good to dance to!

59> That reminds me of this: Our veterinarian and our hairdresser have very similar phone numbers. Guess which one I called for a hair cut? Twice! The receptionist said "Well, we can do it, but I don't think you'd like it!"

Say hello to Mr. Anita for me.

>62 Choreocrat:
Yes! Yes! Yes!

#62 & 64

I went to iTunes to check out the song. I always love a new dance tune.

I LOL'd.

:)

a baby laughing

#57 - I'm fine with all of them except for number four. It's too kinky for me.

It's not bad if you bring enough aluminum foil for everyone.

The idea of actually going home again.
The smell of snow in the spring sun.
The sound of a Loon crying for the first time of the summer.
Curling in up in my bear hide with a fantastical adventure and a cup of hot-chocolate.

(Is a loon a bird?)

Yes, a loon is a bird, with a very distinctive, hauntingly lonely-sounding call. Iconic sound for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and certain parts of Canada. They do not do well is urban areas, so if you hear one, you know you are Up North.

We have loons in Washington State also and you are right...you know you are "out back" when you can hear loons. Their calls is very beautiful and I do not hear it often enough.

Eohna, your list is wonderful. I don't have a bear hide, but I've experienced all of the others and they ARE perfect happies.

WillSteed, my censored list has only one entry, tried and true:

{Charlie}

I am happy that the local women's professional basketball team is doing very well, indeed! This is sweet joy as the men's pro-basketball team left our local market in a great ugly huff and it is so nice to have the professionals be the women. Big crowds, big happies.

Staying in and watching all my old childhood movies that I haven't watched in a while with my guy while its raining....kinda like today.

oh, and chili on a cold night.

watching my herb garden prosper... cooking with herbs from my own herb garden... :)

Chancing upon random stuff happening while I visiting/passing through a place.

Knowing that Autumn, my favorite season, is here again.

the freeze breeze from an open bedroom window on a cool evening

I was referring to Alaska though.

Today's Google logo made me happy.

Having my fourth batch of tomatoes in the canner.

Napping with my kitty curled against me.

Cool crisp fall weather (especially after a hot humid summer).

Anticipating a vacation trip back home.

The idea of the middle nephew going off to "pre-school" tomorrow...I think I'll see if the boys will cooperate with a "First Day of School" photograph tomorrow morning.

bold, curious chipmunks

purple potatoes

friendly kittehs

I should had read this thread long ago, I dismissed it from start on the grounds that I was way to cranky to be around civil people (and have been so for some time now).

This would had lightened up at least a short time! :-)

#84 I like all kinds of wildlife but I draw the line at poorly coloured potatoes

Aussie rules football

Tumblr

H hooks

Today I was reminded that when a toddler grabs me to give me a sloppy kiss it makes me very happy.

#87 - Really fleela? AFL? I didnt expect that :) Despite being an Aussie I'm not a huge fan myself (Cricket's about the only sport that interests me), & certainly dont expect people overseas to be into AFL - or does it make you smile coz you're laughing - lol...

Are you baracking for anyone in particular in the finals?

#86

Clouds and rain after weeks of temperatures in the 90s.

>89 Seanie:
I really do like it. We only get to see one game a week, and it's a replay of a game from earlier in the week. I like cricket too but I rarely get a chance to watch it.

You should move here, fleela. You'd be glutted year-round.

But you have all the poisonous critters!

I dont think I've ever encountered any poisonous critters other than Huntsmen (which I dont think are actually poisonous, just scary looking) & once a red back - but I sprayed nearly a whole can of mortein into the drain she was in, so I dont think I'll see her again...

ETA - Unless you mean the footy players, some of them are pretty poisonous, lol...

Morning at the quay, waiting for the boat. Crisp air, warming sun, and a double espresso latte on the go.

The geese flew over this morning and I was there to see them! :-D

I love those geese. Joseph was amazed by the noise more than the sight of them but that's it now, it's officially September once the geese have flown by.

Pen pal letters
Cute little bear cards from pen pals

:)

I know, this is way too serious and not a small thing, but - modern medicine.
I wouldn't be here without it. Makes me VERY happy every time I think about it!

Coming home and finding that my son has vacuumed the house! Sounds like a small thing, but take my word for it, it was a big thing!

Finishing a book. A happy sense of completion.

Eating the last piece of the last chanterelle & cheese pie for this year.

Messing with my floss - putting floss away, pulling floss for a new cross-stitch project, putting floss on a bobbin, seeing all the pretty colors, cackling and rubbing my hands together because I have all three hundred something colors of DMC floss

Isn't that a great feeling?

My parents used to have a camper that they lived in during their winters in Arizona. They had a fire and lost everything in the camper. My mom was far more upset about losing all her DMC colors than she was about losing the TV and the computer.

They aren't that expensive - 29 to 69 cents a piece depending on where and when you get them - but there are a LOT of them. I would get 10 or 15 at a time then spend an hour or so winding them on bobbins. I can understand her being upset!

I had boxes of bobbins of floss, all rainbow coordinated, and I did love pulling them out to look at them. But, when I decided I wasn't going to do crafts anymore, I gave them all away to homeschooling families with young girls. They were thrilled to receive them, both the mothers and the girls, so it made me happy. Same thing with all my boxes of beads for jewelry making. I sent them to a friend in Missoula who adored them.

A good night's sleep makes me very happy.

Morphidae. I too have all the DMC colors, but mine are all in floss-away baggies. I got tired of all that winding :)

I get a lot of pleasure handling soft yarn in pretty colors. I have been known to walk around the yarn store rubbing a soft skein against my cheek (yes I buy it after that).

I've been smiling as I read about all the things that make people happy, so this thread is one more thing that makes me happy.

A little random... but seeing all my 'scaly-kids' complete an intact, healthy shed, and seeing how handsome they are afterwards... always makes me happy :)

"All the pretty colours" indeed! I haven't embroidered for years, but I can't give away my floss. Now I have quilt fabrics - oooooohhhhh all the pretty colours!! I used to work in a fabric shop and spent most of my money on the fabric. I heard, from time to time, of people working in fabric shops for fabric instead of money and I quite understand. Unfortunately, we need the money more than the fabric and now that I'm working somewhere else, I don't have time for quilting.

But I still have all the pretty colours and one of these days... And that thought makes me happy!

Oh yes, and to go along with the pretty colours is the huge work table Charlie made for me which has room for the sewing machine and all the pieces spread out or to lay a quilt out on.

And the cat can use it to launch himself into the window. Happy stuff!

Believe it or not, the aircraft that fly directly over my house on their way to and from the nearby Air Force base. They're low enough for me to wave a welcome home or safe journey to. I find their presence comforting.

the local cross stitch supply shop

turtle crossing season

I was watching the program Choir on BBC and realized I was smiling the whole time! What a happy and inspiring program! The choir master is so devoted to singing and sincere in his quest to get people singing.

My 6yo asking me if I'd like a piece of his chocolate.
My 9yo wanting to sprawl next to me on the bed, each of us enrossed in our own book.

wabbit season.

no, duck season.

no, turtle crossing season.

Hearing a cat climb the back of my chair to keep me company while I pare down my cross-stitch pattern collection.

~The smell of my dog after she has gotten a bath
~Clean bed sheets
~Quiet time in a hot bath with a good book and a glass of wine
~Smiles and hugs from my Children's Church kids
~The smell outside after a good spring rain
~Making it through another day
~Cross Stitching
~Reading a great book that gets me "off the planet" for awhile
~The smell of an alfalfa field after it has been cut
~A great bonfire
~The smell of a horse barn

okay...I have to stop or I will keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny. :)

119> I worked at a riding stable one summer and my shoes got soaked in the manure etc. Over the next fall and winter my shoes, living beside the front door, gave me back that wonderful smell every time I came into the house.

What has been making me happy lately is remembering the taming of my cat Pip, 12 years ago, remembering the first time I heard her purr, and the first time I realized that she, in her chair just far enough away from me to be safe, was keeping an eye on me not because she was afraid, but because it comforted her. She was giving me that eyes-hardly-open cat smile and puffy breath, then the tiny purr that said "You're a good cook but stay over there". And then there was the day she allowed my foot to stay on her chair, and then the day when she slept ON my foot and then the day she reached my lap.

Kind of like reaching North American after finding the way across the Alaskan land bridge.

I was showing a friend who's new to town around some parts of Canberra yesterday. He's really enthusiastic - loves Australia, and Canberra as well - so it's kind of infectious. I got a whole new perspective on the city I've lived in for so long. It's easy to discount bits of your town that others will find fascinating. It made me happy to share my hometown with someone.

Listening to Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin's version of 'Hush Little Baby'

New bookcases.

;-)

Oh Yes, New Bookcases! But first a new room to put them in.

Having the kitten, Grace, sleep under my desk at home.

Shiloh (the cat who died earlier this year) used to sleep on my feet down there. He would be in his bed and my feet would be under his bed. Grace does not like having a bed under there, but I loved it when she slept down there last week and actually held on to one of my feet (probably to prevent me from accidentally kicking her).

Oh another little happy today: having quarters for a laundromat when I unexpectedly needed one.

When my kitten, Merlin, attacks my toes randomly. ^^

Not being in pain.
Being able to make full use of my brain for the first time in what feels like forever.

And, ah, yes - husband's back home from his stay up north. Makes me VERY happy :)

Today, Flomax makes me happy. It's meant for men with prostate problems that stop them from urinating properly, but it's helping me pass some kidney stones that have been hanging around since July.

Going off with a little smile on my face to count my DMC embroidery floss in its little boxes and perforated plastic sacks in old 3-ring binders. Never actually thought about how many there were. Maybe it's time to break out all the things I've squirreled away. I hope I don't end up giving them away! Sheesh!

Oh, yes, I have plastic storage boxes of DMC on cardboard bobbins, in numerical order, in storage. Haven't really embroidered or cross-stitched in several years (current hobbies quilting and scrapbooking), and my eyes aren't good enough for cross-stitching anymore. But, I have to keep the DMC!

OK, folks, some of these things aren't so little! fleela, kidney stones may be *relatively* small, but ouch! OTOH, I am delighted that people are feeling better. Having chronic stuff to deal with can definitely make you aware of taking happiness when and where it comes. A trickle of little happinesses...pets and children have a big corner of that market. They also get a big kick out of the littlest things, so it's a double bonus.

Making cookies with my niece's oldest daughter (6). Having a "play date" was her idea.

300 colors! It's like, you're ready for *anything*. A rainbow of embroidery floss or colored pencils or stash fabric -- all very happy.

Here's my nerdy happy - Star Wars Fruit Snacks for a buck at Walgreen's. Now I can eat Yoda.

Having people greet me as I wander the neighborhood, and when I arrive at the pool. (AND when I get notes from LT friends!)

I agree children and pet animals do have a corner on providing the most, and most unique, small things creating happiness!

My great-niece, aged 2.5 years, likes to hug and kiss me at random moments.

Pure bliss on my part!

When my 6yo forgets what he wants to tell me and replaces it with an 'I love you Mum'.

5:30 am while the family is still sleeping and I can actually listen to the silence.

#136 - Aw, my 6 yo son does that too!

Today's small happiness is I didn't get soaked by the heavy rains :-)

I agree on silence; there is a special silence I really love in the forest.

Sunday I went hiking up to the top of Lille Malene (small mountain). The silence up there was soo relaxing

The payback of being a (reasonably sane) father.

My kids are gown and gone, but not so far away that they can't borrow my truck every now and then. We weathered a terrible divorce together. Their mother is still trying to convince them that I'm a terrible person.

Over a year later, I met the future MrsHouseLibrary, who lived a 4+ hour drive from me. She was visiting her sister who lives about 12 miles away. We had a date to go out to dinner on a weeknight, and deemed it would be time-prudent for her to meet me at my house rather than
any alternative scenario. I got stuck at work, so rather than getting home 15 minutes before her arrival, I was an hour late. I phoned my kids to let them know. The youngest answered the door, let her in, and invited her to play Monopoly. He was already winning, playing against himself. My oldest son arrived home, met her, and surprised her by giving her a big hug and thanking her for being a part of ~my~ life.

My youngest was 8 when I had to file for divorce. His reaction to the news was "Oh, pooh!" Being the youngest, he had to endure the abuse of my ex much longer than his brothers. I like to think he was learning different modes of behavior and their consequences, and from that, choosing how to live his life. At 21, he's never done anything outrageous. Sure, as a Summer Camp Counselor (with the Boy Scouts) he stuck his head into a bucket of Plaster of Paris and spiked his hair, but he doesn't smoke, doesn't drink (not even coffee!), has never used any drugs, never got a ticket for speeding...

He has taken an apartment with a very intelligent and very pretty young lady who has a two-year-old daughter (not his, and not hers by choice). They have grown together as a family and it brings a smile to my face just thinking about them. There is an obvious affection between these young adults and my son has taken to the role of being a dad in a way that I didn't think anyone his age was capable of doing. He is absolutely dedicate to them.

The daughter is two, and smart (like her mother), cute as a button (but looks much more like her father) and not the least bit shy. She'll sit in my lap and want to play or read a book (or 8) and does her best to call me by my 'grandpa' name - a Celtic word, phonetically pronounced: shan-AH-her. MrsHouseLibrary is called: shan-WAH-her. She also knows the names and location of at least 150 bones in the body. Can you tell mom's a nurse?

The anniversary of their first date is (coincidentally) the same date, different year, of my wedding to MrsHouseLibrary. So, about two months ahead of time, they invited us to go out to dinner with them. And we did! They got a babysitter and we had a wonderful time.

So, whereas the two oldest boys (both Eagle Scouts and in their mid-to-late 20's) are single and relatively happy that way, it's the youngest one who seems to have found a maturity (and a sense of family) beyond his siblings.

You did a great job with all of them. And what a lucky little girl to have so many wonderful people who love her!

As much as we hate adversity in the present, sometimes it becomes the making of us. Congrats, WHL. *wonders how you get Plaster of Paris out of hair*

It makes me very happy to have an intelligent and challenging conversation with my son about history lessons. :)

PoP Removal...

1) Carefully break parts furthest from your head. Make a hole large enough to:
2) Pour in cold water. Be careful - there could be steam blasting back out.
3) Keep chipping away at the plaster, adding water as needed.
4) As the plaster breaks up into smaller chunks, cut the hair beneath it.
5) Shave head.
6) Apply lotion.

Seriously, as PoP sets, it generates a LOT of heat, and he regrets having done it.
Fortunately, there are plenty of pictures, though.

A colleague is getting ready to describe a new plant species that comes from a steep-sided tarn on the top of the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains). We've concocted the name labri-draconis (of the dragon's bathtub) for it. Why should that remind me instantly of Rosagra?

We, like many others, are struggling a bit financially right now. My husband's hours are shorter and things just cost more money now and, as the kids get older, there is just more things that are needed. This is a particularly rough month because we just spent over $600 to get my husband's truck fixed and needed to spend about $125 on a calculator and a flash drive for the boys for school.

My happy in this: I only had $100 for food this week and, with some extremely careful planning and use of things in the pantry and freezer/fridge, was able to get everything we needed for the week and can even splurge on a bag of chips!

145 - I love a bilingual bonus! The mental picture of a dragon in a bathtub is amusing, to say the least.

oreos good coversation privacy, bookshopping for LT freedom memories of good friends education variety the past .

Coming home to a box of books! I needed that little happy today.

My new (and first) kindle that I received yesterday.

Mini pigs.

Realizing my son sings "Star Wars" music when he's in the shower .

Friends that put up with my health-related panic attacks. (Never been serious yet, but once again I'm waiting for test results.)

Hot tea, and memories of near perfect hot tea and scones in England and Scotland.

Guinea pigs whistling for their morning carrot.

Cool, crisp autumn days (still waiting here).

Perfect winter snowfalls (not blizzards or ice storms, snowfalls).

Watching my son and his best friend beat the stuffing out of each other with their plastic lightsabers.

Books--isn't that assumed here?

#151 - My son sings the Imperial theme from Star Wars, whenever no one's looking. I wonder if that's good or bad?

OTOH I may be a bad influence, my fave character is Boba Fett. Mainly for his abilities in the Lego Star Wars game but I also own a Boba Fett minifigure keyring, attached to my work ID/keycard - it is a symbol for "consultants are guns for hire" ;-)

152 Busifer

Boba Fett is my sister's favorite character too. We played with (original, as far as I know) Star Wars action figures as kids and to this day she has Boba Fett sitting around her apartment somewhere.

I'm not sure if this is little or not, but I'm always happy when evidence shows that I actually have a social life. I went for several years in an unfortunate situation with basically no friends, so being invited to a birthday party and a couple other things this weekend (and seeing my October schedule start to get kind of crazy) definitely makes me happy.

The Five and Dime Category Challenge

I love crossing books off my lists, but I'm still working on my 888 challenge from 2008. Oh dear. So I've done a little one of 5 books in 5 categories so I'll have a chance of actually completing a challenge. Whoo hoo!

Getting Good Omens by Neil Gaiman from the library on cd. I can categorically state that listening to it is as much fun as reading it for the first time.

#152 My favorite way to mess with his head: He and his buddy were humming/singing one of the lesser known Star Wars themes. Well, they were actually trying to remember it--what they got was closer to the "Bonanza" theme. So now I sing the "Bonanza" theme at them--guaranteed to force them into giggles.

Making smores around a wood fire.

Looking at the glowing, spread-out coals of the end of a wood fire, on a crisp night under a clear, star-filled sky.

Hearing the little "pink" my computer makes when I click on an internet link.

Freshly-made real mashed potatoes (need I say more?).

Watching anyone sit with a kitty on their lap, in dual contentment.

My kitty.

I am made happy every time my Schnauzer girl jumps up on the sofa, leans up against me, and throws her head back so she can look up into my eyes. She is such a "slut" but I love her because she can cuddle like no other.

>158 maggie1944: LOL! We've called our dogs that, too. "Attention sluts" or just sluts. Especially when they are on their back with their legs splayed open.

Being able to have Talk Like a Pirate Mode back. :)

Freshly made coffee and not being in a hurry to drink it.
Opening all the windows and doors to the fresh, cool, rain-washed outdoors.
Having my kitty look longingly at me and purr loudly when I'm eating brie with French bread. She knows she gets to lick the little bit left on the plate.
The prospect of three days off of work, and no plans. The possibilities are wonderful to contemplate.

Driving down to Boston on Friday, I saw a hot air balloon.

The friend I stayed with there has two cats, and at least one of the slept on my bed (well, the futon) each night I was there.

The perfect weather in September

It's my favorite month, weather-wise.

prolate spheroids

LibraryThing speaking in Pirate!

Talk Like a Pirate Day.

and...prune juice...the drink of boisterous pirates everywhere who are out of rum.

walk2work,

I agree thoroughly. I love watching someone with a kitty in their lap (almost as much as having a kitty in my lap myself).

Okay, fleela, what are prolate spheroids? Will I be embarassed?

Footballs!

American footballs, of course.

Australian too.

I've rediscovered: I love lists.

fleela..I love how there are no rules in australian rules football.
A closed fist to the back of the head is considered a fair tackle
The linesman blow his whistle and the players stop or not depending on their interest in stopping at that point.
No replacements unless you take a player off in a body bag
Its so dangerous the referee hides behind the goal post.

fleela if you ever do visit Aus, make sure its in September, its footy fever at the moment! Especially because one of the teams in the Grand Final next week is the team that pulls the biggest crowds. Its funny even I'm getting into it a bit & I'm usually not that interested in footy...

That's it. I need to find an AFL blog or news site or something. Must ingest more football, whatever the nationality.

I just saw a Seattle TV station do a little piece on footy; evidently, Seattle's Grizzlies came in second in a national championship last year. Amateur teams, obviously.

fleela - I'm sure you could find links to blogs & such at www.afl.com.au :)

Seanie, Hi! I have been around, but lurking and seeing your comments.

On topic: when I haven't had time to post, seeing messages from folk I have chatted with still makes me smile, especially when there is a kitty connection.

Michele

>176 Seanie:
Thanks!

Seeing a fox peeking out at us from the tall grass as Pippin and I went for our walk this morning. Pippin was oblivious, but the fox watched, transfixed, until we were out of sight.

I had a rough day yesterday, and as I was sitting up late on the couch reading, my cat was at the door wanting in. So I let her in, and as soon as I sat down, she jumped up on my lap wanting some love. She doesn't do that very often, so it was very nice. It's amazing how that lifted my spirits. Books and cats - that makes me happy.

Oh what a delightful thread! :)

In no particular order:

1) Rain
2) Purply orange sunsets
3) The deep azure tone the sky gets when the purply orange sunset is ending and the evening proper is starting...
4) The smell of the rain
5) The way everything smells so fresh and looks so green and freshly scrubbed after a particularly satisfying rainstorm
6) A favorite song coming up on the playlist
7) The smell of old books
8) Coffee + chocolate = bliss
9) Really good sushi
10) When a favorite T-shirt fits just so perfectly and comfortably
11) Sharing inside jokes with my friends
12) Rereading a favorite book and remembering passages I'd forgotten about (I have a very bad memory, ergo the rereading part!)
13) Bookmarks
14) Rewatching a favorite movie/TV show (refer to number 12)
15) Playing with my sister's dog
16) Smoked salmon & cream cheese pizza or spinach & feta cheese pizza from a gourmet place
17) Arts & crafts stores -- not that I actually engage in any such activity, but stores like Rex's Art Supplies in Coconut Grove, Florida, make me VERY happy. Huge part is because I remember going there with my dad, who was an architect. :) I loved seeing and smelling the colored markers, the drawing instruments, the million different types of paper... ahhh, good memories.
18) Silent, really, really silent Sunday afternoons, lazing about in my couch
19) Hot chai and a good book in a chilly evening
20) Baking oatmeal raisin cookies to give to family/friends for Christmas, and the wondeful smell when they're baking
21) Perfect breakfast: coffee and bagels & cream cheese
(There's too much food in this list!)
22) The color purple
23) My purple T-shirt that says "Huge tracts of land" in front :D
24) British TV shows
25) Making lists
26) Reading this whole thread -- it's put a huge smile on my face.

This, the latest loot that arrived today:

>182 Delirium9: That bottom book there makes me happy.

Remembering that Season 5 of Dexter starts in a couple of days.

>185 AHS-Wolfy: Wooooot!

I got to hold PUPPIES!! today, and didn't have to take them home or clean up after them. :)

Friday nights reading a good book sipping a glass of wine!

>184 DaynaRT:
Me too! :)

27) Catching an old, favorite movie on TV. Last night I got to rewatch Ghostbusters. Still funny after all these years. No wonder it's in the AFI list of best comedies.

28) Earphones! Especially since I live in a noisy neighborhood.

Went to a bake sale today for a neighbor's child. She has leukemia and they're raising money for the bone marrow donation. We came home with lots of goodies, including homemade toffee. Yum yum yum.

> 189 Ghostbusters is a classic comedy. It's impressive how those can hold up over time. Thursday I got The Shawshank Redemption at discount at the local mega-mart. I also got Galaxy Quest, which was not nearly as good, but has nostalgic value for me and besides, I really like Tony Shalhoob.

I got to see Jupiter and two of its moons, and Uranus, via a spotting 'scope. Stargazing makes me happy.

Some very good football results today.

Chocolate Twizzlers

I just plain love bookstores. Big ones, small ones, independent ones, used book ones, ones with coffee and ones without. I could go on...but you all know what I mean.

We had two families at our hotel last night who were on their way to Disneyland. Watching the kiddies bounce, the parents cope, mixing that with my memories, well, it made me happy.

A day out with someone special.

Chicken soup when you have a cold

Oh, and NyQuil.

Chronologically -

Falling asleep at night (not easy for me).

Waking up and finding that MrsHouseLibrary and I are still holding each other's hand.

I just had a little catch in my heart.

Seeing post #197 :)

I just found 83 recipes for using the new Rice Cooker and Food Steamer that I bought but hadn't decided to keep. Reading about steamed Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake and Golden Buttery Cornbread makes me happy.

You can bake a cake in a rice cooker?? Mine did not come with that recipe...just instructions on how to cook rice.

Apparently so - although it's more steaming than proper baking. The book instructions referred to the company website - www.AromaCo.com - and that's where I found the recipes.

The thought of making steamed carrot pudding in my rice cooker makes me happy.

#205 Carrot pudding?!?

Happy is having a not-quite-a-kitten laying on the mouse pad so that your hand is touching her every move you make and knowing that she thinks you do not know that she wants to be touched.

not-quite-a-kitten...

Is it a turtle?

Almost completely, but not entirely unlike a kitten?

Whisky shops that have tasting bottles under the counter to help you make up your mind which one you want to by.

Dramatic scenary rushing by in a train - cliffs and crags, swirling streams all topped by whisps of cloud.

watching a big bunch of 5th graders concentrating and having fun building bridges and catapults

#209 reading_fox

Whisky tasting in the shop. Wow, that does sound nice!

> 206 Think of carrot cake, but made as a steamed pudding and without the cream-cheese frosting. Carrot pudding.

#206, 212, Delicious with custard sauce at Christmas time. We douse it with brandy and set it on fire.

My son making me supper without even being asked to, because I wasn't feeling well.

Warm footies for my cold feet

My niece coming over to help me with unpacking on a Sunday morning. Very sweet of her.

p.s. She and the littlest of the kids spent hours with me and we unpacked maybe a dozen boxes, made a sick coffee maker work, hung up some art, installed a shelf unit that gave me places to put household chemicals, put some fancy pants dishes away, and chatted all along the way! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so fortunate to have such a nice niece.

Getting my dishes done.

Eating too much chocolate cake and pizza and ice cream on my niece's birthday. May make me sad tomorrow when I have to get dressed for work and nothing fits, but as for today, I'm happy.

My lovely niece on her birthday.

the smell of chicken roasting in the oven. Also licking the mixer after making applesauce cake batter. Yum.

The little pteradactyl noises newborns make (one of my nieces just had a baby)

Family behaving in a civilised way, and coffee in the mug. MY mug :)

oh, #220, you reminded me of : PUPPY BREATH

There is nothing quite like it and makes me smile just to think of it.

Listening to my granddaughter talk...this weekend she spoke several new words and phrases: keys, juice, nose, "There she is!" (pointing to her mother, the dog, and her grandfather), and "Watch it!" (pointing to the laptop, lol)

She still hasn't said "Grandma" yet, though. :)

I watched a very cute music video this morning on VH1 for a song called, "Go Now". I can't give a link since the site is blocked here but I recommend it for a smile.

"Mum, I want to do my math homework NOW" (5 minutes after coming home from school).

Coming home to find my son reading the United States Constitution and listening to what he calls "finger-picking" classical guitar music.

ETA: Oh, and last night my daughter asked if I would like her to make dinner for me. Um, YES! :)

My nephew's wife is having their first child today or possibly tomorrow depending on length of labor (a boy named Jude).

Wahoo!

All of the people who I never met before who came out on a cold and rainy Monday in the northeast to a Memorial for my sister who died last Wednesday. Living in Texas, I was generally unaware of the lives she touched over the years. I had no idea, for example, that she had been a charter member of a book club that was so informal, they had never considered a name for their group in the 23 years they had been meeting (weekly).

I met the people who ran the company she worked for. There was never an issue with her taking medical leave, or whether she might lose her job. They were generous and supportive of her throughout her 7 years of fighting cancer. Today, MrsHouseLibrary and I went with her husband and daughter to clean out her desk, the bosses stopped a meeting to talk to them. They said that even though my sister was gone, they still wanted to be involved with her family.

I don't tear up very often, but today...

{{{WHL}}}

Oh, WHL, that's a HUGE thing!!!
*hugs*

Another catch in my heart.

Another catch in my heart.

Many hugs flying your way (((hugs))) and I'm all teary and happy and sad with you.

Oh WholeHouse. I've often thought of you and your sister, and kept you both in the light. *big hugs* Special people all around.

I messed up the name of the group. It's the same group that made that very clever video with treadmills. It's called OK Go and this is the link on YouTube. Guaranteed to make you smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFajrPm0A9Q

And my favorite OK Go video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

What can I say? I'm a geeky engineer.

29)
The music of the rainstorm outside my window coupled with the sound of GY!BE's "East Hastings" coming through my earphones. Bliss.

30)
*nerdgasm*

I'm currently reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (I saw Blade Runner eons ago and don't recall much -- a rewatch is pending -- but I'd never read the book) and I've just read the line in which an android describes his squirrel and calls her Buffy. *squee*

(I know, it's a common (?) enough name, but still...)

Finally starting to plan my fall vacation.

Afternoon naps with one or more cats napping right along with you.

and afternoon naps with one or more dogs napping right along with you = happiness

Read-a-thons!

Waking up to Happy Thanksgiving wishes from people around the world.

When I worked at the University of Waterloo, I worked with people from all around the world and I loved it. I missed that when I left, and now on LT I can talk to and listen to people from all around the world again.

The teddy bear made from my grandma's mink stole

Friends' weddings.

red Skittles

All of you, for all of the above. You're great!

Puppy's ear infection *FINALLY* being all done.
Kitty beginning to regulate with his diabetes bs
woodsmoke on crisp autumn air
rain in the corn field out back
the weather so far in NE (a pleasant surprise)
a good friend's voice on the phone

A close friend to get the giggles with.

The Grover spoof of the Old Spice commercial

Ack, double post.

Hmm... having the instructor tell you that you have a point when you argue a test question and he adjusts the grade

#249 - I just saw that last night and thought it was great!

I saw it this morning and it's a great way to start the day :-D Grover and Old Spice - what a combination.

#249 - I just watched it and posted it to facebook, brilliant. That made both Joseph and me very happy.

31) Having a thread on FB among friends get completely derailed and off-topic and increasingly funnier and full of inside jokes. Ah, I love my friends. They can be such bastards sometimes, but I wouldn't have them any other way.

32) Having a boring, somewhat downer-ish sort of evening get turned 180 degrees just by said derailed conversation and the fits of laughter it induced. The little things and all that... :)

Being able to look at the Jupiter's moons. The UK having clear skies!

33) This! Thanks to Will who posted it on FB:

Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language

Oh lovely. Stephen Fry is so wonderful. That makes me happy too Delirium.

Watching your friend gape unabashedly at the Flemish giant bunny you find at a pet expo... and getting to tell him what it is! :)

>256 Delirium9: Delightful!

The little half-sized shopping carts my local grocery store recently acquired.

34) Having the delicious luxury of taking a mid-afternoon nap in order to be able to keep working later... just because I have the privilege of working from home. :)

#256 - Just watched that, nice.

I found it immensely satisfying, and I suppose that it makes me happy in a somewhat evil way, that the Webster Dictionary from the 1800s has a definition of "Flounder" as being (paraphrase) someone who tosses their limbs to and fro or falls, or flops, such as a fish on dry land.

My husband asserted that I was using the word incorrectly, that it should be "Founder," now I feel very smug.

Mrs. Lee, I'm with you. I've definitely heard/used "flounder" or "floundering." Usually in a sense to be struggling in some fashion with a problem. If that makes sense.

MrsLee: Your husband may be thinking of "founder" as a horse ailment that causes great pain in moving, and awkwardness. When a horse founders, it does in fact stumble and sink, which is similar to "floundering"

Coming here and learning new things that I would otherwise not know if I were not a member of LT.

Making lists

crossing things off lists

267 - Just did that. The thing I crossed off was pretty big though, so I have to count only the crossing it off in this thread.

#262-4 Flounder being it seems the alternative name for a sole or a type of flatfish - which flounders along the bottom of the seabed in an undualting manner. It's probably reasonably efficient motion, but it doesn't look like it.

And although Isaid ti before, I'll do so again - Being Right.

I've been fussing with my new espresso machine for days and weeks and finally I got the right phone number and the "fix" was all together too easy. The stupid manual should have explained that you need to - well, you don't want to know what - . It just would have been so much simpler had they added one sentence to their owners manual.

The little thing that is making me happy: my new machine, which excels at making excellent coffee, is working just fine, now!

I just printed out tickets to the reunion of the '85 Chicago Bears.

'scuse me, I have to go dance around my living room now

Thought received recently from a distant cousin in Edinburgh:

Only once in 823 years is there a month containing 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This is that month.

(I sent this to Taliska, who made the perceptive comment that it is remarkable that nobody has used this to foretell the end of the world in the next 2 weeks.)

# 272 I shared this one with my fiance as it's the sort of trivia he likes, and he replied a little while later pointing out that January this year has the same pattern. Sorry to spoil your fun.

January and July of 2011 have 5 of each as well.

Today I heard a 3rd grader singing Handel's The Hallelujah Chorus down the hall. It made me laugh so hard, I couldn't get on to him for making noise in the hallway!

On the other hand, 4th Grade has recently gotten their recorders in music class. If I hear one more rendition of "Hot Cross Buns", I shall reach out and touch someone. :)

Ooh. My 4th grader is learning Hot Cross Buns as well. My husband has started making him practice outside :o)

Shitake mushrooms

A nice tip for good service. :)

#275, 276 - My daughter is in 4th grade. In music class they have recorders. She also decided to wanted to learn to play the violin this year with the school orchestra. Can anyone say "earplugs"? She specifically waits until her one older brother falls asleep on the couch after school before she starts to practice. And yes, she does have an evil streak in her.

#272: 5 sundays happens more often then you think.
See http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/trivia/fivedays.asp

I got a 100% on my Business Communication midterm. It was 105 questions on grammar. I am now officially a grammar Nazi.

Go me.

:D

Yay Morphy!!!

Ummm, Morphie... you KNOW we love you and all, but "Go me." isn't ~really~ a sentence...

We all better be careful. There's a full fledged member of the Apostrophe Posse among us!

#281
Yay! Congrats!

----

35) Wordplay. :D Especially when someone else gets it. And especially special when that someone gets my random incoherent non-sense. Bliss.

Going to visit my old high school to pick up my yearbook and having a good friend of mine run up and hug me. ^^ Then staying for the rest of the day and talking with my favorite teachers.

Shoes that have arch support, fit well, do not make the bottoms of my feet hurt, do not pinch the tops of my toes, feel like soft slippers, do not make my big toe or any other toes (or arch, heel, etc.) hurt when I walk, and do not look like orthopedic grandma shoes. Yes, I have a winner (for now).

A game on Facebook that I play (Frontierville) has a bunch of fun Halloween stuff to do and I'm as tickled as a little girl.

Rita,
Where can I get a pair of those???

36) Coffee. Right now, just... coffee. With how crappy I'm feeling today, it's the little things... :S

Our dog Pippin, snuggling and snoring away on my lap.

I know what you mean. I'm always happy when I see Nicky in his frog pose, sound asleep, snoring.

YES! Flying frog is an adorable thing.

But duplicate posts are not.

chatting

Cross stitch stores

totally unexpected, surprise lunch with a close friend

Maggs, I agree, chatting was great!

Lights out pitching, great defense and 2-out hits.

Cleaning up the yard and putting equipment away in anticipation of bad weather coming in....

Found a little "tent" called a Tidy Tent on line which goes up easily and is perfect for storing the lawn mower, and the little (bigger) red wagon (which is actually black), and the umbrella for the little cafe table on the little (really tiny) patio. All zippered up and secure ahead of the winds that are coming in tonight. (I have my thumbs held)

I love late October.

People who let you vent and whinge at them when you desperately need someone to open up to.

Succumbing to the joys of a rainy day and putting aside all chores to read with my kitty on my lap. My idea of a perfect day off.

Does anybody think a new (continuation) thread would make them happy?

The first rainy day of the season and not having to go out in it.

Reading "The first rainy day of the season". The world is a wonderful place.

(We have rain all year, even sometimes in the winter which makes for really interesting basements in January.)

Ok, hfglen, here's a continuation thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/101154&newpost=1#lastmsg

Pasta and cheese - lasagna, macaroni & cheese, baked ziti, fettuccine alfredo

Scones, with honey and butter, or lovely jams and jellies. It's what's for breakfast. :)

home made cafe latte which looks and tastes just like the big boy coffee from a well known national chain

Folks, a new (continuation) thread has been created already. Please post there instead of here.

See post #306.

This is not a little thing but I had to say it.

This makes a lot of happy: the mother of friends who invites you to Thanksgiving because she knows you are not visiting family this year. Everyone there makes you feel welcome...and well-fed...even if you do not know the first thing about football.

#312 - Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving!

I am very thankful for long weekends that aren't overly packed with "stuff". On Wednesday, the girls and I went out to the movies and then took my one daughter to get her ears pierced. We had a very lovely Thanksgiving at the in-laws. Spent yesterday just doing some laundry, straightening up a bit, gathering up some stuff for Goodwill, putting up the outside Christmas lights, etc. Our one daughter had two girls over for a sleepover and they were extremely well behaved - I almost forgot they were here a few times!

Today is another relaxing day - Mostly hanging around the house until dinner time. Then it is off to dinner and to see our one son and his band perform a show. Tomorrow - nothing planned!

We have been SO BUSY for months now that this is definitely a welcome weekend.

Ditto - so great to have a long, relaxing weekend. It's been a challenging year. We have both kids home with us, and we're taking them and a girlfriend to a dance performance today that benefits Young Chicago Authors, a wonderful organization that teaches talented kids from all over the city how to write better and perform what they write.