Little Bits of Happiness, Part 1

It doesn’t take much to make me smile; the tiniest little things can brighten my mood. In an effort to remind myself that even in the most stressful times, life is beautiful – I’m going to start compiling a weekly list of some of the random little things that make me happy. This one is going to be a long one. Don’t be offended if I left you off the list – I need to keep some important ones handy for the future lists!

My Little Baby Pony, Shawn:

He’s not actually a baby, he’s thirty-five…but he’ll always be my little baby! I’ve had Shawn since 1989…best Christmas, ever! He has been my best friend all through life – I even ran away with him, once! I always say we lasted about twenty minutes in the tomato fields, but I think even that is stretching it. I had a rough time in childhood, but having our horses around made everything so much easier. Shawn has brought so much happiness to my life, he should have a whole post to himself. I love my little old man.

p.s. When l first met him, his name was Shaitan, but we called him Shawn. We also have a Paso Fino named Diablo. We didn’t name either of them but it’s kind of funny that we have two horses named Devil. They are both very gentle and sweet, so don’t expect to meet a couple of evil horses!

Cow Hugging:

Particularly, these cows. I think it’s because the only other cow whom I’ve successfully hugged was a cow named Strawberry, who lived on my mom’s friend’s ranch. She was very nice. These cows belong to my mom’s neighbor, and I love them. It’s difficult to get pictures of them with a fixed lens, because they are very curious and always want to inspect my camera. I don’t know their names, but they are the friendliest little kitty cows I have ever met.

Being Goofy With My Sisters:

Two of my sisters were absent this day but Tessa, Amanda and I laughed so much, we were practically crying. I don’t even remember what we were laughing about. Probably nothing. It doesn’t take much to get us going, when we’re around one another. We’re either bickering or laughing, always.

My Niece and Nephew:

Roxy Mae and Jackson are the funniest little characters. I’m constantly laughing when I’m around them. They have the best conversations. Jack: “I can’t wait to go to my doctor. He’s really nice!” Roxy: “My doctor is not nice. He shot me and then he said a bad word!”

Kid Cereals (and Panda Mugs):

My mom made fun of me for eating kid cereal. Then again, she likes Grape Nuts, so what does she know? Captain Crunch and Quaker Oh’s mixed together…so delicious. At least I used skim milk?

Delicious Treats in Mini Form:

Everything is better in mini form. Mini red velvet cupcakes? Delicious!

Animal rescues:

Leo is one of the many rescued animals in my mom’s house. She (they didn’t know she was a girl) was kept in a cage so small, she became hunched over. They completely neglected her. Now, she is very happy, but it took her a long time to trust people again.

Axle (my sister’s dog) was due to be euthanized, the day after she first saw him at the local pound. There’s nothing wrong with him – he’s well behaved, knows several tricks and is very loving. Unfortunately, because of his size, no one wanted him. Luckily for Axle, Amanda took him home. He joined a fellow pound rescue, Pinky Ernest Tooters – a Hemingway kitty. Yay, Pinky and Axle!

Thzipper:

You would have to know this kitty to understand. He is the epitome of magic and love. His name is Zipper, but we’ve always called him Thzipper, because we imagine him with a really cute speech impediment. It’s kind of like when my cousin was little, and he referred to himself as Twistopher.

Dandelions:

They’re one of nature’s fun little games.

Roxy’s Infatuation With Bobby:
Like mother, like daughter. “Boppy” was her first word. Enough said!

love love,

Keiko Lynn