Friday was reporter Heather Schultz's last day in the newsroom. I sadly did not make cookies for her. So instead I decided to post a blog for her.

A little while back I was working on a blog of things that annoyed me --an idea I stole from Leo-- but as I started typing, the list continued to get longer and longer and I ended up putting myself in a bad mood. Heather was the one who suggested that I should really write a blog of the things that make me happy.

So I did.

Happiness is:

• Rain

I am not a fan of heat. The rain always brings a welcoming chill and new life. The smell and the sound of rain showers have always been amazingly calming. The improvement in my mood in the past few days most likely has to do with the rain we have been getting. (Note that I cannot say I am a big fan of hail that destroys houses and cars and tornados that ruin lives, however cool they may be in theory.)

• Bubbles

Who didn’t love bubbles when they were a kid? I just have never given up this love. They make me feel giddy whenever I see them.

• Bells

Frankly anything that makes noises (and most see as obnoxious) I adore. This include wind chimes and party sound makers.

• Randomly having your parents pay for your gas

• Cartoons

• Party streamers

My family always has streamers on birthdays and holidays. So far I have never encountered anyone else who uses these streamers. It is funny how entertaining small rolls of paper that you can throw over you chandelier can be.

• Flowers

OK girly yes. But get over it. I love the smell. Just looking at them makes me smile. Instant cheer. From roses to tigerlilies to daisies to dandelions (yes I know they are a weed but I have always thought they were kind of cute. People would appreciate them more if they were harder to grow.)

• Offered help

Note the emphasis on offered.

• Acceptance

• The feeling you get when wearing big boots

I am not particularly strong but when I wear my boots I feel like I can take on anything and anyone. My ‘bring it on’ boots (“These boots are made for walking...”)

• Wii sports (mostly tennis) and the people who throw the remote into their tv/wall/friend

• Mail

REAL mail. The handwritten, correct grammar on paper kind. I will even give you a long well written (AKA no net speak) e-mail

• Family dinners

• Christmas lights

They just bring back good memories of my family. My family never takes ours down (I think this used to dismay our neighbours, but I’ve noticed in recent years they’ve started to copy us.) and so I can enjoy them whenever I wish. Last year we did not take down our Christmas tree until well after Easter (My Dad called it our “Easter Bush”). I always forgot it was in there until I would enter our living room and turn on the lights and the tree’s lights would come on. It make me incredible cheerful.

• Cookie dough

There is no better comfort food that raw cookie dough. Just don’t go on a trampoline after eating a bowl full. No matter what your well intentioned friend says...it is not a good idea.

• Finishing that killer term-paper/Kicking butt on a difficult exam

• No lines at the supermarket

• Hot towels fresh out of the dryer

• Road trips with friends

They are even better when you have no idea whatsoever where you are going or if you just bought a GPS and have no idea how to operate it (IE telling us we have arrived at our destination and we turn and see the Kal-Tire....Thanks GPS but we wanted the Jubilee.) This guarantees chaos and silliness. Unless of course you are good with directions and self sufficient in finding places, which thankfully I am not.

• Finding old hardcover books

• The sound cars make as they accelerate :)

• The ice cream truck and its lovely music

Again it brings back lots of memories of begging mom and dad for money and then joining the group of children running after this slow truck. Just recently I relived this memory, hearing the music and running out (I believe the man who drove the truck was surprised someone my age was so happy to be buying ice cream, as I barley contained my giggles.). An afterthought: although there are many children living on our street, I did not see one of them run after the ice cream truck. How sad.

• Stuffed animals

Come on. They are cute and cuddly. I have a few.....

• Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter

• Vintage stores that look like ISpy books

This is something I encountered on my trip to Vancouver. I love things that have a story. Seeing thousands of small trinkets being stuffed into a store smaller then my room made me exceedingly happy. The owner, a small elderly women who knew the history behind everything, owned four identical black toy poodles. They looked like they belonged in a painting.

• Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you

• Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep

• Cherry Blossoms

When I went to Vancouver I was blown away after learning they had cherry blossoms. Because of the cold spring, the time they usually bloomed was pushed back and it so happened they were coming into full bloom just as we arrived.

• Good conversations

It doesn’t matter if it is friendly debate, advice or just a fun conversation with someone who shares the same thought process (when they can understand how you went from a conversation about nachos to human rights). A good conversation can make me smile all day.

• Sarcasm

• Philosophy

• Starbucks

I am on a student’s budget but there are a few things I allow myself to spurge on... Starbucks is one of them

• Having my neighbour cut the grass for my family

This got on the list after my neighbour came and cut our grass on a day when it was, in my opinion, too hot to function. In that moment I realized that if he was not here, the person suffering behind the mower would have been me. This made me very grateful and happy to have such nice neighbours. (The neighbour who called the RCMP to give me a parking ticket is a different story.)

• Playing with a new puppy

• Swinging on swings

• Having someone make homemade food

Food always taste better when someone else has made it for you.

• Destroying someone in a debate

• And one added for Heather: The green Red Deer water tower. Evidently, it was her favourite structure when she was growing up. My own problem with the tower is that it does not say ‘Red Deer’ on it.

Cheers.