Stopping to smell the roses: 111 things that always make me smile

It’s been a rough month or so, following my grandfather’s death, but I’m ready to get back into the habit of blogging, and I think I should start again with a list of things that always make me happy. Life is too short to walk around with a heavy heart. Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the roses.

I’ve written up a list of simple pleasures –most of which don’t cost a thing– that never fail to make me feel better. It started off as a list of one hundred things, but then I lost track of my numbering and I don’t particularly care to prune back a list of things that bring me pleasure. I ended up at 111, and I like that number –don’t worry, the list doesn’t have anything to do with my fondness for odd numbers– so that’s how many there now are. They’re in no particular order, but I was careful not to repeat myself. Some of them are particular to me, but a lot of them must have a broad appeal. Hopefully there’s something in there that speaks to you the same way it speaks to me. See what you think:

Murray Anderson’s Eulogy

Murray and Serena Anderson at their 60th Wedding Anniversary

My grandfather, Murray Anderson, who I’ve mentioned before at least in passing here, here, here, here, here, and here on this blog, passed away last Sunday. He was a few months shy of his eighty-sixth birthday, and he was the finest man I have ever known. I gave a eulogy at his funeral yesterday, and people thought it was very well said. As this blog has featured him so heavily already –and will continue to do so– and as it serves as a place for my writing, I thought I should publish his eulogy here. I also have a copy of a speech I gave at his sixtieth wedding anniversary a few years ago somewhere. I saw it a couple of days ago, but I can’t seem to find it at the moment. I’ll put it up when I do.