A good friend of mine recently asked, "What makes you smile?" Ever since the question was put to me I've been paying attention to the things that bring joy to my heart. If truth be told, I'm a bit of a country dork and my city friends would heartily agree if they could see inside my head.
After a walk with the boys this morning that had me smiling the whole time, I decided to keep track, just for today, and write down the things that made me smile. Here goes:
- I woke up this morning with a headboard! It's made out of a door that hung in the original 1930s home once on this property. I smiled because I refurbished it months ago and it's been leaning on my bedroom wall waiting for my husband to put it up. Yesterday I wondered why on earth I was waiting on him. I have a brain, two hands and HIS tools!
- An unexpected quick visit from our oldest daughter made me beam. I was able to meet her friends from school that I've heard so much about and discover that they are just as wonderful as she said.
- I couldn't help but laugh out loud watching Tank reunite with his aforementioned girlfriend.
- I had a phone conversation with our youngest daughter that was full of confidence, laughter, accomplishments and goals. A happy child makes a VERY happy mom.
- Two crazy Corgis butts wagging always make me smile. This time it was because they know a camera in my hands means an unhurried walk around the property for them.
- The flowers I planted yesterday were still there!!! I thought for sure Belle would have had them for breakfast.
- The two gallon jugs of 20% vinegar on the barn table that I picked up yesterday made me smile because it means my organic-minded husband has completely worn off on me.
- I found a pallet in a "storage" pile that I could turn into a coffee table like Sarah did on "Sarah's House" (HGTV). After all, I'm a pro now that I've installed my headboard, and again, I have his tools.
- Beau was covered in shavings which means he got a good night's sleep in his stall.
- The smell of the fresh shavings I put in Beau's stall for tonight conjured up memories of Rea's Barn and playing in the sawdust pile.
- Abby the cat talking to me from the top of the shed where the Corgiboys can't reach her deserved a giggle.
- Too much HGTV had me thinking about turning the dilapidated shed into a cool chicken coop.
- That got me to wondering how in the world I could keep the Corgiboys from torturing these imagined chickens. Chicken herding Corgis had me laughing.
- A job well done that resulted in a clean water trough for the horses put a smirk on my face.
- Jag inspecting the clean trough brought on the laughter.
- The view of a half-mowed pasture made by smile and realize that, by definition, ranch work is never done.
- Our persimmon tree weighted down with perfectly beautiful fruit would have made Julia Childs grin.
- Wondering what the heck I do with persimmons made me think of Frank from college and his grandmother that made the best persimmon pudding....or was that rhubarb pie? Either way, I was smiling thinking about it.
- I sat on my parent's old bench while I watched the dogs cool off in the pond. Thoughts of my parents brought on a tearful smile. I was one lucky girl.
- Watching my husband on his John Deere, completely oblivious to the fact that he's so covered in grass and dirt that he resembles George Hamilton before the gray hair, made me laugh.
- The smell of fresh cut grass...and horse manure made me smile. (Horses really can say that their poo doesn't stink!)
- Jag made me proud when (on the third try) he learned that if he barks at a horse I've tied in the barn, he goes back inside. The first two times I grabbed his collar and walked him to the door. The third time he walked himself and waited for me to let him in. He immediately barked to be let out and came out slowly with his nose in the air as if to say, "horse? What horse?" (Tell me you're not smiling too!)
- I thought of Jake (our first Cangelose family Corgiboy) when I passed his grave, marked with a metal sculpture of a Corgi Fairy. Years later, every thought of him still makes me smile. Adding to that amusement, I remembered Cam recently learning about the myth of Corgi saddles for fairies and laughing hysterically.
- Our crepe myrtle showing its appreciation for this summer's rain with tons of blooms had me looking in awe.
- Giving Bobbie a bath AND staying dry because I replaced our old "Jaggified" hose with a new dog proof one really had me smiling.
- I smiled at Jag for being terrified of the gunfire next door and wanting me inside with him. (And I smiled again because I was thrilled to be needed INSIDE because it's 101 degrees outside.)
- I stopped to look at the painting Kels did of Cameron and Beau when she was twelve that hangs in our den....that made me go look at the one of Jake in our room done around the same time. I am still amazed at how well she captured their faces.
- I love the C4 Ranch sign made out of a plow disk that Cam had made for her dad's birthday. (Which made me smile thinking of highlighting the artist on the blog soon because he's amazing)
- I smiled because my friend in Georgia asked when I was making my flight reservations. - Not "are you coming?" but "when?"!
- I laughed at Jag sleeping at the back door holding one of his twelve Frisbees so he'd be sure not to miss an opportunity if we headed outside....and at Tank lying on the back of the sofa hoping we didn't go outside again and disturb his nap.
- I smiled a satisfied smile at the clean smell of orange oil when I mopped my floor.
- I'm smiling now at myself trying to find the right spot on my beloved rustic kitchen table for my water bottle to sit steadily while I type this.
Hmmmmm. This is reading a bit like a gratitude journal. I suppose that makes sense because we should be grateful for the things that make us smile. The lesson here for me personally is that it's the little things that keep me smiling on the inside. There's nothing monumental listed here. In theory, all I should have to do is pay attention in order to find something that makes me feel good enough to smile. Implementing this strategy when life plants a hurdle in front of me will be the test. That fact also makes me smile.
Life, no matter how simple, gives us a bounty of things at which to smile. What's making you smile today?
After a walk with the boys this morning that had me smiling the whole time, I decided to keep track, just for today, and write down the things that made me smile. Here goes:
- I woke up this morning with a headboard! It's made out of a door that hung in the original 1930s home once on this property. I smiled because I refurbished it months ago and it's been leaning on my bedroom wall waiting for my husband to put it up. Yesterday I wondered why on earth I was waiting on him. I have a brain, two hands and HIS tools!
- An unexpected quick visit from our oldest daughter made me beam. I was able to meet her friends from school that I've heard so much about and discover that they are just as wonderful as she said.
- I couldn't help but laugh out loud watching Tank reunite with his aforementioned girlfriend.
- I had a phone conversation with our youngest daughter that was full of confidence, laughter, accomplishments and goals. A happy child makes a VERY happy mom.
- Two crazy Corgis butts wagging always make me smile. This time it was because they know a camera in my hands means an unhurried walk around the property for them.
- The flowers I planted yesterday were still there!!! I thought for sure Belle would have had them for breakfast.
- The two gallon jugs of 20% vinegar on the barn table that I picked up yesterday made me smile because it means my organic-minded husband has completely worn off on me.
- I found a pallet in a "storage" pile that I could turn into a coffee table like Sarah did on "Sarah's House" (HGTV). After all, I'm a pro now that I've installed my headboard, and again, I have his tools.
- Beau was covered in shavings which means he got a good night's sleep in his stall.
- The smell of the fresh shavings I put in Beau's stall for tonight conjured up memories of Rea's Barn and playing in the sawdust pile.
- Abby the cat talking to me from the top of the shed where the Corgiboys can't reach her deserved a giggle.
- Too much HGTV had me thinking about turning the dilapidated shed into a cool chicken coop.
- That got me to wondering how in the world I could keep the Corgiboys from torturing these imagined chickens. Chicken herding Corgis had me laughing.
- A job well done that resulted in a clean water trough for the horses put a smirk on my face.
- Jag inspecting the clean trough brought on the laughter.
- The view of a half-mowed pasture made by smile and realize that, by definition, ranch work is never done.
- Our persimmon tree weighted down with perfectly beautiful fruit would have made Julia Childs grin.
- Wondering what the heck I do with persimmons made me think of Frank from college and his grandmother that made the best persimmon pudding....or was that rhubarb pie? Either way, I was smiling thinking about it.
- I sat on my parent's old bench while I watched the dogs cool off in the pond. Thoughts of my parents brought on a tearful smile. I was one lucky girl.
- Watching my husband on his John Deere, completely oblivious to the fact that he's so covered in grass and dirt that he resembles George Hamilton before the gray hair, made me laugh.
- The smell of fresh cut grass...and horse manure made me smile. (Horses really can say that their poo doesn't stink!)
- Jag made me proud when (on the third try) he learned that if he barks at a horse I've tied in the barn, he goes back inside. The first two times I grabbed his collar and walked him to the door. The third time he walked himself and waited for me to let him in. He immediately barked to be let out and came out slowly with his nose in the air as if to say, "horse? What horse?" (Tell me you're not smiling too!)
- I thought of Jake (our first Cangelose family Corgiboy) when I passed his grave, marked with a metal sculpture of a Corgi Fairy. Years later, every thought of him still makes me smile. Adding to that amusement, I remembered Cam recently learning about the myth of Corgi saddles for fairies and laughing hysterically.
- Our crepe myrtle showing its appreciation for this summer's rain with tons of blooms had me looking in awe.
- Giving Bobbie a bath AND staying dry because I replaced our old "Jaggified" hose with a new dog proof one really had me smiling.
- I smiled at Jag for being terrified of the gunfire next door and wanting me inside with him. (And I smiled again because I was thrilled to be needed INSIDE because it's 101 degrees outside.)
- I stopped to look at the painting Kels did of Cameron and Beau when she was twelve that hangs in our den....that made me go look at the one of Jake in our room done around the same time. I am still amazed at how well she captured their faces.
- I love the C4 Ranch sign made out of a plow disk that Cam had made for her dad's birthday. (Which made me smile thinking of highlighting the artist on the blog soon because he's amazing)
- I smiled because my friend in Georgia asked when I was making my flight reservations. - Not "are you coming?" but "when?"!
- I laughed at Jag sleeping at the back door holding one of his twelve Frisbees so he'd be sure not to miss an opportunity if we headed outside....and at Tank lying on the back of the sofa hoping we didn't go outside again and disturb his nap.
- I smiled a satisfied smile at the clean smell of orange oil when I mopped my floor.
- I'm smiling now at myself trying to find the right spot on my beloved rustic kitchen table for my water bottle to sit steadily while I type this.
Hmmmmm. This is reading a bit like a gratitude journal. I suppose that makes sense because we should be grateful for the things that make us smile. The lesson here for me personally is that it's the little things that keep me smiling on the inside. There's nothing monumental listed here. In theory, all I should have to do is pay attention in order to find something that makes me feel good enough to smile. Implementing this strategy when life plants a hurdle in front of me will be the test. That fact also makes me smile.
Life, no matter how simple, gives us a bounty of things at which to smile. What's making you smile today?
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