What if you are happy and you don't know it?

A friend of mine lost her dad yesterday. Then, last night, Anjali kept spiking fevers, which always freaks me out because her head gets so hot while her hands and feet feel like hot bricks pressing into my stomach. So, I did not sleep much last night..... worried for my friend, constantly checking Anjali....... then, even after Anju's fever broke at 3am, ye olde friend Insomnia reared his ugly head. Which left me loads of time to ponder and mentally meander.

My blog has a been a spate of negativity lately, so I want this post to be a positive one. Feel free to steal this Meme of Gratitude and repeat. At a bare minimum, I am asking everyone to do something kind to someone today. An extra pat on the back.....a thoughtful word......... a quarter in a parking meter ....... a smile of acknowlegement at a cashier who is just trying to do his/her job.

10 Things That Made Me Happy In The Past Week

1. I returned some items at the library before their due date. Before! This is pretty much catamount to a minor miracle in these here parts. I am suprised the return slot did not spew fire back at me.
   
2. My industrious husband is picking up projects left and right and left. He is pretty darned busy which we are so grateful for in this economy.
   
3. BOTH of my tarantulas finally molted. They are still recovering, but thus far, all is well. And they both look gorgeous in their new sets of threads.
   
4. Speaking of threads, my generous friend Rita passed along some luscious girl clothes to me. Seriously, folks, latch onto a friend with a child who is a mere few years older than yours. Then, sit back and let the good times roll on in - in the form of hand-me-downs.
5. The other day while on our walk in the stroller, Arun taught Anjali how to blow kisses. Watching the two of them count birds and blow kisses to them is a memory I will forever treasure.
6. I received the Sherpani backpack that I had been waiting for from Zappos (my early birthday present.) I am still unsure about using a backpack, although I suspect my life will be easier with it instead of a fancy handbag.
   
7. I finished one awesome book - Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay and immediately picked up another book, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, that is promising to be a juicy read (I hear it has S-E-X in it. Woot!)
   
8. On Sunday, I had a fabulous book club meeting with a great group of gals. It was a thoughtful discussion and I enjoy hanging out with a non-stressful, non-gossipy group that simply relishes reading as much as I do.
9. I finished a long due knitting project for Brit and am very pleased with the results. I do not want to give away the surprise, but I think her son will particularly like it, with him being a Wizard of Oz fan and all.
   
10. We had a cool thunderstorm earlier this week. Arun and I sat by an open window and watched the rain the together - I love, love rainstorms, so sharing this with Arun was particularly poignant for me. We had a sweet conversation about all of his friends at school. At one point, he said "Mama, I love everybody and everybody loves me." Wait until Junior High, babycakes. Just wait.