Thankful

Recent events/things for which I am thankful --

• Our new apartment that we'll be in as of December. Two bedrooms, two baths, one story, one neighbor (elderly, quiet, and sure to appreciate our boring quietness as well), and zero jerkface insomniac musicians. We are so ready to be out of this place and away from college kids. We're too old for their shenanigans.
• My vacation time. I've been off this week and it has enabled me to be with my parents when they needed my help with errands, food, and general support.
• My sweet husband, who has been so patient and so empathetic toward my mood this week. He knows when I need hugs, when I need out of the house to clear my head, when I need a homemade pumpkin spice latte, when I need to cry, when I need to be left alone... and he knows exactly how to handle it all. I don't think I can ever thank him enough or repay him for all the support he has given me. I know that I'll sure as hell try.
• Too Cute, on Animal Planet. Puppies and kittens are a great source of happiness. I watched an episode earlier in which a tiny baby goat headbutted a puppy and I thought my heart would explode.
• My adorable little sister. I picked her up from work on Thursday and spent the whole day with her. We grabbed a bite to eat, visited with my parents, talked for a long time, went to PetCo and perused cute animals, and we had a good time. I don't get to do that often enough with her because of our completely opposite schedules. I'm glad we could catch up.
• Tokyo Pen Shop. The lovely Bethany sent me a pen about a year ago and it quickly became my favorite pen of all time. It finally ran out of ink a few weeks ago and I went straight to Bethany's recommended source -- Tokyo Pen Shop -- and I ordered black and purple Uniball Signo DX 0.38 pens as well as a cherry pink Hi-Tec C 0.4 pen. Upon submitting my order, I left a note to Kimberly stating that Bethany had referred me and that I was thankful for the service she offered (because these pens are darn near impossible to find, online or otherwise). I promised to order more once the emerald green had been restocked. Two business days later, my order arrived -- with two additional emerald green pens! Kimberly had included a note thanking me for my business and letting me know that she found those last two pens in emerald green and planned to restock the website with them soon. I was stoked! Talk about awesome customer service. If you're a writer or a pen snob, please go check it out; their prices and service are excellent and their shipping is lightning fast!
• Dove Nourishing Curls Whipped Cream mousse. Best mousse ever -- and it smells amazing. If you're a curly-haired girl, I very highly recommend trying this stuff out.

What are you thankful for today? 

100 Things I Love (a work in progress)

I started this in one of my Listography journals and I haven't completed it (yet), but I wanted to share. It picks me up to add a couple of items when I'm feeling down. I've made a point of it not to include specific people (because then the list would never end, really), but moments and experiences instead.

What's something that you truly love? Are you an appreciator of the little things?

1.   realizing that "'til death do us part" isn't nearly long enough ♥
2.   words
3.   music
4.   real (not side) hugs
5.   the crinkly sound that paper makes when it has been written on on both sides
6.   coffee, and how I always think of Granny when I drink it (she thought it tasted like burned peanuts)
7.   the sound and smell of rain
8.   pens
9.   cats
10.   daisies
11.   the sounds of a southern summer
12.   quiet time
13.   people-watching
14.   aquariums
15.   unexpected kindnesses
16.   blank pages
17.   technology
18.   fitting perfectly against my husband when we're snuggled up
19.   autumn colors
20.   Diet Coke
21.   the silence that comes with a blanket of snow
22.   an arm-load of warm towels that just came out of the dryer
23.   the weeble-wobble of babies who have just learned to sit up
24.   the connected feeling you get when you're at a concert with hundred of other people who love the same band you do
25.   homecooked meals
26.   over-the-ear headphones
27.   goosebumps
28.   handmade gifts
29.   the smell of thrift stores and flea markets
30.   eyelashes
31.   pink-and-orange-and-sometimes-lavender-tinted sunsets
32.   the genuine enthusiasm of children
33.   being home for Christmas
34.   purses purses purses
35.   lightning bugs
36.   a new box of crayons
37.   a good cry
38.   skirts
39.   buying pretty make-up (and then never wearing it)
40.   handwriting
41.   doing the hand air-gliding swoosh swoosh up and down while in a car, with my window rolled down
42.   taking a good photo
43.   bats
44.   the soft hum of a box fan
45.   a comfortable silence
46.   starting up the car and hearing your favorite song on the radio, like a soundtrack is just waiting for your life adventure to happen
47.   popping bubblewrap
48.   the sound of the ocean
49.   getting surprise mail
50.   comfortable flip-flops
51.   french toast
52.   blanket forts
53.   sitting down at the end of a long work day
54.   stickers
55.   Burt's Bees lip balm
56.   fingernail polish
57.   naps
58.   purring
59.   trinkets that come with family stories
60.   the blast of the car air conditioner after a summer concert
61.   messenger bags
62.   hoodies