In the pink

What makes you happy? Valentine's Day is a time for us to remember those we love, and those we miss who are still in our hearts, even if they are gone. This picture (spiffed up a little with the help of Picnik) of some Washington state rhododendrons, taken last spring, makes me happy when I look at it. Pink is one of my favorite colors.

Several blogging buddies have been getting into the spirit by listing things they love. I decided to make a list of some of the things that make me happy:

1. Smart Guy. Sharing my life, everything that matters to me, with another person who listens and supports me makes me very grateful to have found him.
2. Living here in the Pacific Northwest, where the mountains and the sea come together.
3. A community that supports its seniors by having a great bus system and the Center for Senior Health.
4. A warm, safe place to come home to, a rented apartment where when something goes wrong, somebody else has to fix it, not me.
5. My birds. I feed them and they entertain me. I especially enjoy seeing my little sparrow with the broken wing, who flies just as well as the others. He comes by every day.
6. The friends I've made here. Sometimes I think about those I left behind in Boulder, but mostly I'm grateful for all the wonderful people I get to hike and work out with every day.
7. Great veggies and other good food healthily prepared by Smart Guy.
8. My children. Even though they are both gone now, they are still in my heart and I believe one day when I pass over to the other side, we will be together again.
9. My family. My siblings are very precious to me, and two of them even read my blog on a regular basis! All of them, however long it's been since I've seen them, add to my blessings.
10. And how could I forget my blogging friends? You light up my life, every single day, when I read what you have written and rejoice in our diversity.

What makes YOU happy? I'd love to hear about it, if you feel like counting YOUR blessings.
:-)