Life's Simple Pleasures

So in Idea Development a couple weeks ago, I had to make a list of "activities that give you pleasure," on the basis that too many people feel that they can only write when they're depressed. After we made this list, we had to pick one item and write a story about it, or flesh out the experience or something. It reminded me of this one day I was at the grocery (argh, Monique always says that, I picked it up from her accidentally) with one of my suitemates, and she said how she feels that there are certain things when we're little kids that are really fun, and always just great, but we forget about them as we grow older, and how wonderful they are. I knew exactly what she meant - simple, little things that are just good. So I decided that since I was feeling so down the other night, I should make a list of awesome little things that are just good.


-- Blowing bubbles. (I took pictures of myself blowing bubbles at Island Heights the other day, for my digital photography class. It was the first time I'd done that in a while, and it was amazing.)
-- Staying up all night and watching the sun rise.
-- Milk and cookies, and an afternoon nap.
-- Cookies in general.
-- Naps in general. Planned naps, rather.
-- Coloring in coloring books. Or on place mats in restauarants.
-- Ice pops. Or ice cream from an ice cream truck.
-- Watching a movie you like that you haven't seen in a while.
-- Curling up on a cold day in a blanket with a mug of something steamy and a good book/movie/music.
-- "To dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free."
-- Fruit snacks.
-- Cartoons.
-- Cereal box and Cracker Jack prizes.
-- Dancing in the rain and puddle-stomping.
-- Getting mail.
-- Running through sprinklers.
-- Watching the sun set, letting dusk settle on you, and then watching the moon rise.
-- Driving with the windows down with fun music blasting, singing at the top of your lungs.
-- Swinging on swings. (In the moonlight, if you're Sark!)
-- Blanket forts. (More Sark.)
-- Fireworks.
-- The Sunday "funnies."
-- Hot baths.
-- Good hugs. Not limp ones or too-tight squeezes, but good hugs.
-- Homemade dessert. Really, homemade anything.
-- Throwing your slippers in the dryer for five minutes before putting them on. Ditto bath robe. Ditto anything, really.
-- Christmas morning.
-- Quote books.
-- Pillow fights.
-- Running into or hearing from an old friend you haven't talked to in a while.
-- Giving gifts for no reason.
-- Stickers.
-- Bike rides on nice days.
-- Receiving sincere compliments. Or giving them.
-- Finding loose change.
-- Taking silly pictures.
-- Stuffed animals.
-- Wearing something nice.
-- Driving around with no place to go.
-- Walking around with no place to go.
-- Buying candy at a candy store.
-- Winning a prize. Especially from one of those rigged boardwalk games.
-- Sitting around with friends doing nothing but being silent together.
-- Board games.
-- Teddy Grahams. And Goldfish crackers.
-- Cherry Coke. And Stewart's Orange 'n' Cream soda.
-- Chapstick.
-- Sitting in the middle of cul de sacs.
-- Dancing in the street.
-- Barnes & Noble. And the Book Bin.

That's all I have at the moment. I'm sure I'll think of more. I just don't have time right now. Later I will.

It's later. I thought of more. Haha.

-- Trampolines.
-- Sea glass and sea shells.
-- Stargazing.
-- Picnics.
-- Flowers in bloom. Especially dewy ones.
-- Surprise visits.
-- Cheering someone up.
-- Mix tapes. Well, mix CD's.
-- Hearing a song you like play on the radio.
-- Jumping on beds.
-- Travel sized anything.
-- Secret hidey-holes, niches, gardens.
-- Drinking something with a straw. And using the straw to blow bubbles in whatever you're drinking. Haha.
-- Cheap boardwalk prizes.
-- Skeeball.
-- Stupid dances.