Post #1000

Yes, this is my 1000th post. I can hardly believe that 6 years (almost exactly) have gone by since I started writing this thing. In honor of my blog, and in light of my family's recent loss of its patriarch (my grandfather), I have decided to compile a list of one thousand things that make it good to be alive (a.k.a. "reasons to be happy").

I have also decided that no one wants to read a list one thousand items long, so I have shortened it to 100. But each item on the list will be ten times better than it would have been if I hadn't shortened the list, and so you will still get the full effect of one thousand things. How does that work out for you?

1. The calm before a storm.
2. The undersides of leaves.
3. Spots of fog on a hillside.
4. Low hanging clouds.
5. The first 400 leaves that fall in Autumn.
6. Hummingbirds.
7. Wind chimes.
8. Lanterns.
9. The Silver Maple.
10. A barefoot horse on pavement.
11. A good sailing wind.
12. Stacked firewood.
13. Spring peepers on a foggy night.
14. Tire swings.
15. Laughing at dinner.
16. The smells of breakfast.
17. Hush puppies in a frying pan.
18. Powdered donuts.
19. A ripe peach that leaves juice somewhere on you other than your mouth.
20. Watermelon, for the same reason.
21. Pine trees in the house.
22. Floors made of salvaged wood.
23. Accomplishment.
24. Colorful socks.
25. Men's hats.
26. Brotherhood.
27. Night-time photographs.
28. Sunrise on New Year's Day.
29. Salt-water wind.
30. Olive groves.
31. A field of working bees.
32. The sound of a snowfall.
33. Rahsaan S. Fenn's status updates. (Inspirational guy. Friend him on Facebook.)
34. Seeing firsthand the bond of a family.
35. When cats do yoga.
36. Physically intense exercise.
37. Sea shanties.
38. Knowing if you died today, you'd leave behind a legacy.
39. Soup in the fall.
40. Cooking with friends.
41. Warmth in the winter.
42. Balancing.
43. Campfires.
44. Making memories.
45. Touring old buildings.
46. Touring rebuilt buildings.
47. Challenging expectations.
48. Meg's Tandoori Harvest Sandwich.
49. Creativity.
50. Cooperation.
51. Crisp air.
52. Spring cleaning when it is not spring.
53. A pie fresh from the oven.
54. Heritage.
55. Discovery.
56. Finding a robin's eggs.
57. The white tail of a running deer.
58. Black walnuts (but beware of stained hands!).
59. Solving a mystery.
60. Saying "I love you."
61. Sprinting.
62. Pigeons and salamanders.
63. Dreaming.
64. Cats on hay bales.
65. Days gone by.
66. Sketch books.
67. Many names for the same thing.
68. Children discovering something.
69. Old books.
70. Peaceful breathing.
71. Black and white photographs.
72. Greenhouses.
73. Running water.
74. Thunder.
75. A signature drink, so your waitress will remember you.
76. Regrets that no longer matter.
77. Forgiveness.
78. Campfire smoke.
79. Beach honeysuckle in bloom.
80. Flocks of crows in flight.
81. Getting lost on purpose.
82. Old coins.
83. Supportive friends.
84. Inventing something.
85. A blue sky.
86. Blooming after a rain.
87. Dates.
88. Scripture.
89. Rhythmic anything.
90. Organization.
91. Marveling at progress.
92. Birth.
93. The coconut palm.
94. Voicemail.
95. History.
96. Someone to love.
97. Pomegranates, mangoes, passionfruit.
98. Guacamole.
99. Long-lost friends.
100. Friends you've never lost.

Which one is your favorite?