A Few of my Favorite Things.

What is greater than a genuine smile? Ones that manage to make it to our faces despite the mine field events of the day that normaly tear to shreds any good mood? Sometimes we need to shepherd those little smiles along to safety.

In light of previous posts that tended to indulge my negative side, I made a list of the things in life that make me smile. The following I wrote in one sitting, and were I to take more time I'm sure the list would more than double in size.

1. Licking the mixing bowl.
2. Werthers Candies, just like grandpa used to share.
3. Paper chains made of construction paper.
4. Warm towels and clothing fresh from the dryer.
5. Singing along with family and friends while watching The Sound of Music. 
6. A clean apartment
7. Movie popcorn.
8. Feeding bread to ducks. 
9. Hot McDonald's french fries. 
10. A cold winter night, warm blanket, and The Godfather in the DVD player.
11. Flirting.
12. The smell of rain.
13. Chewing on ice from a fountain drink. 
14. Watching Old faithful erupt. No matter how many times I witness it, it never fails to thrill!
15. Kite-flying.
16. Listening to an old audio tape from the past.
17. Singing a favorite hymn in sacrament meeting.
18. Holding hands wondering what's going to happen next. 
19. The Lonely Island.
20. Old outhouses on back roads.
21. Jelly Belly Jellybeans -- I love taking a Peanut butter and a grape bean, eating them together and making a PB&J.
22. Reading a great book the same time as a friend.
23. Honey roasted chicken from that deli downtown. If the City of Enoch returned today and had a picnic, this is the fired chicken that they'd serve.
24. Homemade roasted pumpkin seeds.
25. Pushing a child in a swing. The look of joy in their faces remind me how great life can be.
26. Road trips with my best friend.
27. Talking about comic books, Star Wars, Star Trek, Lost, or Lord of the Rings with someone I didn't know was a fellow geek.
28. Frosting and cream fillings. 
29. Watching iCarley with my nieces while tending them.
30. Netflix.
31. Running into someone who speaks the language I learned on my mission.
32. Candles. My straight best friend tells me if he ever doubts I'm gay he looks around my apartment and sees all the candles I have everywhere.
33. Mom's potato salad. 
34. Skipping through commercials on my DVR.
35. A fresh notebook, legal pad, or sketch book. I'm always thrilled by the possibility of the blank page.
36. Actually I love office supplies of all kinds -- pens, markers, paperclips. In grade school my closest companion was my Trapper Keeper.
37. Rainbow sprinkles on soft-serve.
38. Finding something you've really wanted cheap at a yard sale or thrift store that you no longer can find for any price retail.
39. Making balloon animals for my nieces and nephews.
40. Listening to my mom try to tell a joke, only to get it all wrong. 
41. Gathering on General Conference Sunday to watch the final session together as a family. 
42. Prank videos on You Tube.
43. Getting my feet rubbed. 
44. Getting a nice new haircut.
45. Homemade root beer. 
46. Little House on the Prairie reruns. This is possibly the gayest thing on here, but I had a crush on the Albert character when I was a kid, and I've loved the show ever since.
47. Finding a long lost friend on Facebook.
48. New Shoes. 
49. A day at Lagoon with friends. 
50. Making a great meal in a Crock Pot or Foreman Grill. 
51. The stark white of a winter morning. 
52. Dutch oven cooking.
53. Listening to a child pray or bear testimony.
54. Listening to a child curse not knowing what they've said.
55. MTV's Silent Library.
56. Dancing in my underwear.
57. Air conditioning.
58. The feel of old books.
59. Long hot baths.
60. Seinfeld reruns.
61. Fast-food made the way I ordered it.
62. Cold ice cream over warm brownies. 
63. Goosing someone or being goosed.
64. Payday. 
65. A hearty laugh.
66. Being able to sleep in an extra couple of hours.
67. Watching Bob Ross paint. (Happy trees! Happy clouds!)
68. A good fight on The Real Housewives.
69. My Dwight Schrute bobble-head. 
70. Getting Final Jeopardy correct, especially when the three contestants get it wrong. 
71. Reaching the top of the mountain and seeing the view was worth the climb. 

I hope everyone will consider taking the time to compile their own lists. Life is way too hard to live on frowns.