What are the "little things" you get enjoyment from?

[nytemare]

I'm of the mindset that you can't truly be happy unless you find joy from little everyday things.

I like puffy clouds, making faces at myself in the mirror, singing on the drive to work, colorful sunsets, big full moons, and the popping noise my middle right toe makes when I walk without shoes.

What about you?

[mitchum]

1. I know this is weird, but unclogging a drain

I coulda been a plumber!

[nytemare]

3. The water going down the drain makes the sound of accomplishment!

:)

[Brickbat]

12. I feel exactly the same way.

Mr. Brickbat always wants to dump toxic shit down it, and I'm more than happy to work on it with a pipe snake for hours. The last one I got out was one that was two feet long. It looked like a labrador retriever's tail.

[MiddleFingerMom]

84. I have a good recipe for that if you want it. n/t

[applegrove]

65. I like cleaning the lint out of the dryer lint tray. I just find it really satisfying. I don't know

why.

[mcctatas]

2. bubble wrap, hugs from boy spawn, bagpipes, kittens sleeping

on my bed, laying on my boyfriends chest and listening to the rumble when he talks (he has a really deep voice), Sarah Palin jokes and knowing the answer to Final Jeopardy

[nytemare]

5. Bubble wrap is pretty cool.

:hi:

[raccoon]

40. I love bubble wrap! betcha it's a great stress reliever. nt

[mycatfred]

4. My cats and dog

When I do really well on something I struggled with/worked hard on. And having a really good work-out. :)

[nytemare]

6. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[femmocrat]

7. My dogs. They always make me laugh.

Also: my gardens (flowers, vegetables, and herbs). I miss them.

[nytemare]

8. Doggies are cool.

I like going to various puppy and kitty cams to get a smile.

[femmocrat]

9. Awww.... the real fur-babies are so much sweeter.

If you don't have any, I hope you can enjoy someone else's. :hug:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. Making homemade marinara sauce

On the days I make it, I tell my friends "This house is going to smell like an Italian lives here."

One 28-OZ can whole tomatoes (I use any good imported San Marzano variety, but Progresso works well in a pinch), hand-crushed
1/4 cup EACH finely diced yellow onion, celery, carrot
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
pinch EACH of dried basil, oregano, mint leaves, plus salt and fresh-ground black pepper (substitute fresh herbs when available)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and carrots, cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic, stir constantly for about 30 seconds (fresh garlic burns easily, and if it does, it will ruin your sauce). Add tomatoes. bring heat to high. As soon as tomatoes are boiling, cover pot and tilt lid slightly to vent. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Keep simmering for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir every 20 minutes or so, return to simmer. Five minutes before serving, add basil, oregano, dried mint leaves, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper (this keeps the flavors vibrant..never add herbs at the beginning as they can become bitter during long cooking times).

Serve over hot pasta, with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

:toast:

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

11. Well, today I saw a rather larger man driving a small truck

with a tiny dog on his shoulder. Obviously, he loved the little dog very much, and the whole sight of it just made me smile.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Crushing my enemies. Seeing them driven before me. Hearing the lamentation of their women.

And lupins.

[blue neen]

14. Believe it or not, scrubbing the kitchen floor.

It always looks so nice and shiny afterward. I get nice, natural cleaners that really smell good like Mrs. Meyers and Caldrea. It's like aromatherapy! :)

[mitchum]

16. I believe it; I also get really jazzed doing dishes and laundry

Don't tell my buddies or it will damage my bad boy reputation

[Kat45]

15. Birds. All birds, but especially my bird. n/t

[noamnety]

17. Today nearly at the end of a class

there were two students sitting on the bench outside my door, one playing guitar, the other singing Hallelujah. My kids asked if I would open the door. And for the last 2 or 3 minutes my kids were silent and we just listened.

[fizzgig]

18. watching my cats play

a good cup of coffee, cooking with my husband, sitting on the deck with my morning coffee and smokes on nice days, wearing fun socks, playing cards with my family.

nice thread, nytemare :) :hi:

[Biker13]

96. fizzgig!

You and I are soul mates! The first thing I thought of, was a good cup of coffee, than cooking with Biker13!

I'd only add our Orange Retriever Taarna! She rocks my world!

Biker's Old Lady

[SeattleGirl]

19. My dog running to meet me at the door when I come home.

My cat snuggling up on my lap.

Finding a really good book to read.

Getting an unexpected bouquet of flowers.

A crystal clear day here in SeattleLand.

[buzzard]

20. The silly squirrels fighting over my bird feed, the nightly escapades of raccoons, skunks, opossums

who should be hiding out for the winter, they all provide enjoyment to me.

[nytemare]

35. I used to have a pet squirrel.

They are great fun to watch, aren't they?

Cool little animals.

[proteus_lives]

21. Smokes, comics, ramen noodles, my iPod, books.

Zombie movies and long walks.

[clyrc]

22. there are so many "little things" I love

so I will just write the things that happened today- walnuts, coffee, petting my dog, petting my cats, listening to the birds outside my window as they wait for me to give them birdseed, several books lying around I am anxious to read, listening to my girls chatter as they get ready to go to school, a walk in cool weather. I only recently realized how lucky I am that I have so many little things that give me pleasure, because my in-laws were visiting and it occurred to me that they don't enjoy nearly so many things as I do. I am an absolute pleasure addict in comparison to them, but I'm lucky in that I love so many little things.

[tango-tee]

95. I simply have to let you know how much I love your post.

When I was a child, I decided that I would never go to bed without first finding something to look forward to the next day.

As we grow into adulthood and responsibilities take over, we often lose the pleasure in the small things in life. Thank you for your post... It is 4 a.m. in Germany right now, and I am looking forward to reading a bit more, finishing a cup of cocoa and then snuggling back into bed for another couple of hours.

Love my bed, love the cat purring next to my ear, enjoy the thought of having a couple of days ahead of me to do as I please.

[Yurovsky]

23. Watching pairs luge in the Winter Olympics....

what the hell does the guy on top do? I just think this sport looks kinda silly... (even more than curling ... seriously, a BROOM??? Shuffleboard for the snow-bound)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. My dear nytemare!

SO many things!

Seeing the brand new moon when it's still a tiny crescent......did that tonight, and last night!

Kissing my husband!

Having a long conversation with a dear friend!

Feeling really comfortable after a much-needed nap...

Having a poem show up, all ready to be written down!

Getting really good applause at the venue where I read them!

:pals:

[nytemare]

62. Naps are great!

So are shameless kicks!

:hi:

[Forkboy]

25. The sound of rain on the pavement on a hot summer night.

Vacuuming (you can see your progress!). A band taking a chance I didn't expect. I nice play along the halfwall (hockey people get this lol). A kiss on the neck from behind when it's not expected (a distant dream now). My cat giving not just wanting to be on me, but DEMANDING it. :)

A few others I won't mention in a family oriented thread....

[Broken_Hero]

26. In the early morning

when its still dark, and I get up to use the bathroom, and in the dark, I put my tshirt on, and I discover in the lighted bathroom that in fact, I have my shirt on the right way, and not backwards/inside out. That brings me some minor joy.

Seeing kids smile at my dumb Superman stuff, its like their head explodes. A cig/coffee in the early morning/late evening. Snow.

[fizzgig]

27. i forgot my favorite

listening to the snow fall and the absolute silence that accompanies it.

[Angel]

28. Enjoying a converstation with a good friend.

Listening to music, a glass or 2 of red wine at the end of the day. A child's smile and laugh. Taking photographs, sex, watching the animals in nature running around. I'm easily pleased..I am just thankful to be alive to enjoy any and all things.

[Forkboy]

29. Ok, I got some music for you!

Wait, that's why you're gone already! ;)

[Angel]

31. you turned me on to some great music !

great t.v. shows. Ok , so some of your music sounded like cookie monster gargling glass, but hey, everyone has their own taste in things. Besides, you just turn me on :evilgrin: to things.

[Forkboy]

32. I'm just sitting here licking my forehead.

:9

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. Reading to my son...

creating voices for all the characters in the books.

Listening to and watching birds
Communing with trees
Sleeping and dreaming

[nytemare]

36. You know...

I love reading Carl Sagan's book, because I hear his voice in my head when I read them.

:D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

90. What a lovely thought!

I hadn't considered reading Sagan to my son, as 11 seems a little young. But he enjoyed Stephen Hawking's book for children..."George's Secret Key to the Universe". Maybe he'd enjoy some of Sagan's works too.

[lazarus]

33. completing things

I've suffered from ADD and bipolar for most of my life. It's only fairly recently that I got it under control in any meaningful way. Not completely (I can't hold a job to save my life), but I find I'm able to complete small goals and it always makes me happy.

For instance, my 8,000 songs on iTunes all have full tag info and album covers. That took me days. And I'm a huge Survivor fan. I've got detailed spreadsheets on cast bios, challenges, and voting history. I let them slip a few seasons ago, and I recently spent a few days bringing them all up to date. It just feels better now.

My latest is lol sites. I've got about 20-25 bookmarked, and, except for Failblog and Cheezburger, I've seen every pic on every site. Just went through them all in order. Now I'm doing cheezburger. There are something like 700 pages on that site, and I'm halfway through.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

34. A few things

Hearing President Obama's voice

Viewing pictures of President Obama and his family -they have so much style, grace, elegance and class

Hearing the sound of water or watching water flow in a river, waterfall or anywhere else

Watching videos from musicals or from past decades on Youtube

Hearing my niece learn to talk

[lunatica]

37. Being greeted by my dogs when I come home

And the thousands upon thousands of wonderful things they do every single day.

Soft music in the afternoons on my job. I can feel my muscles and blood vessels popping as they relax which causes my brain to get enough blood flow which makes me actually be clear headed while I work.

My view from my condo. It's the Leona State Park which is a canyon here in Oakland California (the hills)

Looking at art. All kinds of art.

Sometimes cooking. I can be very creative with few ingredients if that's all that's in the larder.

[AsahinaKimi]

38. My ipod with all my 2000 plus Japanese songs..

When I am out and around, it makes me happy!

[raccoon]

39. Watching birds, watching clouds, looking at the stars, looking at the moon,

looking at a sunset/sunrise, listening to my cat purr, observing nature.

[hunter]

41. Old abandoned film cameras...

They cost almost nothing now.

Coffee.

Watching the birds in my yard. We've got our little rufous hummingbird back guarding "his" fountain again. His furious buzzing assaults on anyone who disputes his claim make me laugh.

[Mad_Dem_X]

42. Eating dark chocolate, watching my dog play,

hearing my favorite song on the radio, feeling my husband next to me in bed at night.

[peacefreak]

43. makes me want to sing raindrops on roses...

My cat coming into bed in the middle of the night & resting his head in my hand.
The squirrels outside my window eating cheese doodles (my neighbor feeds them)
finishing a project that comes out beautifully (cross-stitching a lotus)
a glass of wine while cooking
playing with my grandson

[HopeHoops]

44. Eating one small square of a Hershey's Special Dark bar.

I let it dissolve slowly in my mouth. Yum.

[NightWatcher]

45. as the late, great Warren Zevon said (and I do), Enjoy Every Sandwich

[Iggo]

46. Girl giggles.

[redqueen]

47. Talking to my best friend,

sharing laughs with my kids, everything about the sky, oddly-shaped trees, pajamas and fuzzy slippers, playing with and petting my kitty, and football.

[Urban Prairie]

48. The first really warm day of spring

With fruit trees in full flowery bloom, their scent is just wonderful, When I was a child, we had a crabapple tree in our backyard and a pear tree, and our neighbor next door had two tart cherry trees.

The smell of coffee brewing in the morning.

The smell of gasoline (leaded) in the 60s while it was being pumped at a gas station..unleaded is just not quite the same.

Getting out of bed early in the am, to use the bathroom, during a cold winter morning and then going back to bed and pulling the still body-warmed sheet and blankets back over me...mmmmm!!

I miss the smell of freshly washed bedsheets that were dried outside, on a clothesline, haven't experienced that since my childhood in the 60s.

Walking along the shore of Lake Michigan, near our cottage in NW lower Michigan, while hunting for petoskey stones. I became very good at finding them when I was a kid.

Compiling my own personalized Linux kernel and watching it happen on the screen...very nerdy, I know..lol!!!

[HughBeaumont]

49. This:

Every so often, I like to visit my sister, who lives in a DC suburb. The day after I come down (usually late in the evening), I get up real early (6:30 AM, usually), take the 22 bus into Silver Spring Metro, go to Union Station and begin a long walk from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial. While I walk, I either listen to Passion by Peter Gabriel, "Dogs" by Pink Floyd, or "Static" and "Storm" by godspeed you! black emperor back-to-back.

Sometimes it's warm. It's even better when it's warm in D.C. during a traditionally cold Ohio month.

Then I visit various spots around the city, like DuPont Circle, Georgetown, all the museums, WWII Memorial (for my Grandpa) . . . usually cover about 12.5 miles on foot.

Oh, another thing - ALWAYS visit the art gallery and view four mandatory paintings (or sets) - #1 by Jackson Pollock, The Annunciation by Jan Van Eyck, "Ginevra De Benci" by Leonardo and all Tolouse-Lautrec art.

It allows me to breathe, relax, get excercise, feel much better and generally helps me forget grey, cold, glum, champion-less Northeast Ohio.

[nytemare]

70. I used to live in Silver Spring.

And saw Peter Gabriel in concert when I was stationed up there at Belvoir.

Did you get through the snow ok?

I used to love driving by Mt Vernon at night.

[HughBeaumont]

71. I'm from NE Ohio.

Surprisingly, we got relatively little snow this winter. They're the ones that got hit with what we usually get. She was buried for three days and had no power for 36 hours.

Freezing sub-arctic temps, however . . . yeah, that's pretty standard with us. :(

[Rob H.]

50. My cat

She's always excited to see me when I get home and won't stop meowing at me until I pick her up and give her some cuddles. I love that she waits patiently for me on the lid of the clothes hamper when I take a shower in the morning and then jumps up on the sink so I'll turn on the faucet so she can get a drink of water. I also love that she sleeps at the head of the bed so she's touching me.

I also like to iron, believe it or not. There's something about it that's therapeutic and soothing to me. Weird, huh? ;)

[Arugula Latte]

51. To me, the cat-less life is not worth living.

:)
Oh, and white wine helps, too. And getting rid of clutter. And waking up on a non-work day and realizing you can take your time.

[muffin1]

52. Having friends over for Oscar night.

Playing with my four kitties.
Drinks and conversation with friends.
All day Christmas specials marathons with my ex-boyfriend each year.
Cleaning the house from top to bottom - my alter ego is Monica Gellar.
Drinking coffee and reading the paper on a cold winter morning.
Work-outs.



Vicodin.
:evilgrin:

[Throd]

53. A really good dump

[pink-o]

54. Hot showers after a killer workout.

Hot showers with water pressure like Niagara Falls, so strong it pushes you up against the shower wall and pummels all your aching muscles like a deep tissue massage. I'm so glad I was born in a century where humans have running hot water!!!

[eppur_se_muova]

55. Kind of food-centric -- a really good pizza. good chocolate.

Haven't had either for a little while. :(

When you've had a Mellow Mushroom veggie special, or a Hungry Howie's *with* garlic butter poppyseed crust, it's hard for anything else to compare.


There's something special about encountering animals unexpectedly. Well, non-skunk animals. Even seeing neat little squirrel tracks in the snow puts me in a kind of time warp, and I see them the way a pre-industrial man would -- trying to read the signs, divining where the squirrel has gone, what he was up to. I accidentally disturbed a large bird -- blue heron, I think -- late at night, in the middle of winter. Really unexpected and mysterious. And that instinctive freeze when you see something moving takes you back to man's natural state in an instant.

Of course, meeting a cat is extra special. Only the really, really feral ones ever fail to give me a friendly greeting.:)

[av8rdave]

56. Phone call from either of my kids, the dogs happy to see me

A nice day for riding.

[mike_c]

57. DAMMIT!-- it's not THAT little....

:evilgrin:

[Peregrine Took]

58. Morning coffee with limone biscotti, how I feel AFTER running, having a neat

scotch, having a hot shower and going to bed early with my computer, radio and a good book and sleeping til 10 AM.

[triguy46]

59. Taking a walk through our pasture.

[BlueIris]

60. Pulling the wings off flies.

I mean knitting. Knitting, all the way.

[Skittles]

61. I like hearing people laughing

even if it's, say, strangers in a restaurant

[nytemare]

63. I love funny laughs.

There are two people at my work that have laughs that are so funny, they make you want to laugh. Nothing like a cool laugh!

[Skittles]

72. oh I know what you mean

a gal at work (so southern I call her Miss Hee Haw) has one of those loud, bellyaching laughs - every time I hear her it makes me laugh too :D

[CBHagman]

97. Baby babbling or giggling too.

Oh, and the pugs valiantly defending their turf from plush toy monkeys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIevaPNDx3c

[Darth_Kitten]

64. my dollhouse miniatures! :) and my bird.....

:)

[madinmaryland]

66. Seeing the Dallas Cowboys beat the Redskins twice in one season and beating the Eaglets

three times in one season!!

:D

[Richard Steele]

67. The "pfft" sound a cigarette makes when it hits the water in the toilet of a well-tiled "Mens Room".

Just to mention one.

[RoyGBiv]

68. Watching my cat play ...

... when he doesn't know I'm watching.

[BuddhaGirl]

69. Sunday mornings with my husband - it's "our" time

we listen to Acoustic Sunrise on the local rock station, have our breakfast, read the paper...until noon!

I love the way the sun shines in the late afternoon on the taller trees in my neighborhood, particularly if it's breezy.

Sunsets.

Listening to my mp3 player through earphones.

[LeftyMom]

73. Long baths in very hot water. My son's singing. Snuggly cats.

Thai iced teas. The snorty noise flvegan makes when he laughs. Ginger candy.

[csziggy]

74. Being on my farm and watching the wildlife and the seasons go by

Watching the birds at the feeders or in the bird baths, listening to their songs. Watching the red shouldered hawks try to catch the song birds or the squirrels. Watching the crows with their antics and listening to their caws - and the one crow that mimics turkey gobbles. Watching the foxes play in the pasture, the deer and the horses graze and the wild turkeys scrounge for grain and acorns.

So the field planted with wildflowers will be in bloom, the fawns, turkey chicks and fox kits will appear and the trees will be green again. There will be different birds to watch and more flowers. And I get to watch it all happen.

[old mark]

75. Cooking, taking care of my sick dog and playing guitar...also learning harmonica. nt

[Tikki]

76. Thinking about some really obscure song and then finding it on....

the internets....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeehPLaI_NU
"Isotope soap"....Geza X and The Mommymen



Tikki

[petronius]

77. Having a threesome with supermodels while riding my private jet to Tahiti

But only when I've got nothing better to do...

[SoxFan]

82. Nice post, Tony Stark!

[murielm99]

78. I like clean socks on winter days when I have just gotten

out of the shower.

I like a clean nightgown fresh from the dryer when I have just taken a shower. I will stay up later just to experience that simple pleasure.

I like the way my cat feels when I pet her after she has been sleeping in a sunny spot.

I like walking to the back of my property in the spring when the lilacs and the apple trees are blooming. I like the way it smells on the nature trail when I walk my dog there. It does not matter what season it is, the trail smells nice.

[Sky Masterson]

79. a few things

My Asshole cats(who aren't that little)
Insulting my guitar by attempting to play it . :)
Flirting is fun (Or it used to be before I hit 40 and became invisible) :mad:
A GOOD cup of Coffee in the morning,a glass of wine at night.and a good cold German beer on a hot day.
Talking with a few of my very close friends that I met here makes me pretty happy :)
Seeing Green day in concert.(Sue me,I'm a huge fan :P )
Thats about it.

[mochajava666]

80. Morning wood

A good crap
Falling asleep

[MiddleFingerMom]

86. Falling asleep DURING a good crap.

.
Nononono, honey. Don't be disgusted. That was me SNORING!!!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(honest)

[mochajava666]

87. MiddleFingerMom, scatological humor is your medium,

and you are a fine artist/aficionado. I am honored.

[Lil Missy]

81. Watching my pup chew his food, when he doesn't know I'm watching.

[Bertha Venation]

83. seeing a great blue heron

having the cats clamor for my lap, and watching them have little snits when they don't make it before someone else does

playing with my new smart phone

watching the birds on the feeders on the deck

seeing pictures of Mrs. V.'s great-niece and great-nephew

[Tommy_Carcetti]

85. The Florida landscape/skyscape

Seriously, growing up in Maryland but vacationing in Florida, I dreamed of moving to Florida and waking up every day to the palm trees, bright sunshine, blue skies and puffy clouds that Florida provided.

I went ahead and followed my dreams, and now I live in Florida.

So whenever I'm having a bad day, I try to pull myself back and just look at the surrounding scenery and recognize that I'm living my dream. And that manages to relax me a little bit.

[LibertyLover]

88. My daughter snuggling with me, curling up with the whippet or the

greyhound on the sofa with a good book. Having the house to myself for a few hours of peaceful reading. Sitting on the porch with my two rats on my shoulder chittering in my ear.

[dixiegrrrrl]

89. My Golden Retriever.

Every single day.
Just looking at him makes me grin.
He is a heart stealer, gives me great pleasure.

And the way the 4 o'clock summer sunshines "just-so" thru a window and lights up
a colorful tile in one otherwise darker corner of the house.
I try to catch that 5 minutes whenever I think of it.

Good thread..enjoyed the responses.

tho Forkboy's mental image may last too long in my mind.
Ribbet....

[caitxrawks]

91. the way my daughter's eyes light up when she smiles.

=)

[Midlodemocrat]

92. The time I won $10million in the lottery was a small, simple, pleasure I won't soon forget.

[Z_I_Peevey]

93. Early morning fog across the valley,

the first turn of dirt in the spring,
nailing every note of a big song,
grandbaby's smile,
bread, cheese and fruit,
the memory of a pure love,
bright turquoise,
sincere eyes.

[Mendocino]

94. The sound of an old fashioned wooden screen door closing.

Picking a sunwarmed tomato and eating it before I get out of the garden.

Getting my Siberian Husky to howl.

Listening to it rain at night.

Corn on the cob.

[elshiva]

98. Hanging out at the local public library.

[Jade Fox]

99. this.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfX_pLlryrs&feature=related

[Initech]

100. Hanging out with the homies, doesn't matter what we're doing