My friend Kinwa is probably the most positive person I know. It’s awe-inspiring, but also a little daunting, to be in her presence, as she seems to dwell permanently in the bright side. I’ve known her over a decade and have come to realize that her energy and her positivity aren’t an act. It’s a good thing for me to be around someone as sunny as Kinwa. For all the jokes I crack, I tend to linger in the darkness a little too long, especially at the moment, as I’m going through a bit of a rough patch in life, eager to make some big changes that I simply cannot make yet, for financial reasons. I’m having to practice patience every day, and breathe through the stress, knowing that somewhere down the line, I’ll get to where I want to be. K. just posted on Facebook the 100 things that make her happy (she said she actually got to 125), and I thought it would be a good exercise for me to try to do the same, something I can refer to on dark days like today, where I feel discouraged and unfulfilled. It’s taken over an hour, and I only got to 84, but here they are, in no particular order:

My fuzzy grey cat Currie. I love when she runs to the door to greet me, I love it when she sleeps on my feet, or sits on my lap while we watch TV. I love it when she yells at me to feed her. I even love it when she bites my nose.
A good hot shower, with plenty of time to reflect on the day ahead, or the day just passed (and sometimes both - sorry, environment).
Hearing my mom or dad say “Hello” when I call them, even when I have nothing to say.
Singing. Any song, any time, anywhere, whether there is someone to hear me or not.
Listening to “As It Happens” on CBC as I make dinner.
Talking through life with my brother, when we’re in a serious mood, or trading witty remarks about just about everything if we’re not.
Surfing LaineyGossip every morning and taking delight in whatever celebrity gossip she is revealing.
Sorry, I hate to say it, but having a Quarter Pounder from McDonalds and a Diet Coke after a night of partying.
Combing through Broadway Market on a Saturday morning.
Sitting in a theatre, program in hand, right before the lights go down.
Wandering through a bookstore with fifty bucks to spare (otherwise it’s an exercise in frustration).
Sipping a flat white from Monmouth Coffee in Borough Market on a Friday morning, knowing that the whole weekend is still to come.
Saying hello to Frankie the cat at the local florist, and then saying hello to the mountains, every morning on my way to work.
Opening my new Vanity Fair magazine every month.
Sliding into bed after I’ve just changed the sheets.
Wandering around Whole Foods.
Spontaneous swims in the ocean.
Hearing the Gastown steam clock chime while I’m lying in bed.
Trading Facebook barbs with my witty friend Heather.
Gossiping with my cousins.
Baking beautiful cookies, breads, cakes and pies.
Shopping for clothes, talking about clothes, helping someone else pick out clothes, reading about clothes (does that count as 4 entries?)
Flipping through home decor magazines and ripping pages out for my “idea book.”
Poking through second hand stores with my mom.
Taking a road trip, where I get to drive (optional) and pick the music (mandatory).
Sleeping in a hotel bed with crisp white linens and absolute quiet.
Eating just about anything with my friend Karen, the world’s most enthusiastic foodie.
Organizing my jewelry in clear plastic boxes.
Buying beautiful journals.
Feeling like I am part of a team.
Looking at the same paintings over and over again in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Frolicking through IKEA and imagining an organized, colour-coordinated, space-efficient alternate reality.
Lunch dates with girlfriends that go way past an hour.
Finishing a really good run.
Tax refunds.
Eating Hershey’s Kisses while reading a good book in bed, and finding little pieces of tinfoil throughout the pages of the book at some later date.
Talking to children. Not in a scary-stranger way. Children I know.
Being complimented for my fashion sense.
Clearing out my closet.
Dancing to Motown.
Saturday morning steamed soy-and-maple and an oatmeal cookie at Finch’s Teahouse.
Being hugged my aunts (separately, not all at once).
Laughing until I cry with Annie.
Having co-workers barge into my office to gossip with me.
Cooking for other people.
Sleeping in a bed made by my mother. She gives good sheet.
Listening to my dad make up the lyrics to songs.
Watching Masterpiece Classic on PBS.
Starting a new novel. Reading, not writing, although hopefully the writing will come someday.
Watching documentaries on YouTube on just about anything.
Sitting on a lanai at dusk in Maui.
Going for a walk on a crisp day.
Spontaneous drinks with my girlfriends, which are usually planned 4 to 6 weeks in advance, and still called “spontaneous drinks.”
Playing a good practical joke.
Helping plan weddings, or any parties, really.
Writing personal messages in greeting cards.
Really, really good sales at the Bay.
Picking paint colours.
Watching Ghost Whisperer and crying my eyes out (it’s not as satisfying without the cry, as it really is a shitty program).
Being told by my parents that they are proud of me.
Sleeping in a tent.
Loving someone, whether or not they: a) know it or b) love me back. While this has its sad and lonely moments as well, all in all, to love is to be happy.
Watching quirky British sitcoms.
Hearing someone say, “Hey, where’s Dani?”
The view from Granville Island towards Yaletown, with the Burrard Bridge to my left, on a sunny day.
Having someone to say goodnight to.
Fluevog boots.
Crayola crayons - the 64 pack with the built-in sharpener.
Watching the Fifth Estate on CBC, but only when Linden McIntyre or Bob McKeown host.
The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland (not Disneyland Paris as there was no Johnny Depp! Sacre Bleu!)
Dreaming that I have to suddenly step in and take the lead role in a Broadway show.
Lining up birthday cards on the mantel (or the buffet, as I don’t have a mantel at the moment).
Sitting in a lecture about a particular piece of literature and taking notes in several different colours of pen.
Blogging, even when I have no idea if anyone ever reads what I wrote.
Reading good-news stories in the paper.
Watching that insanely cute YouTube video of the beagle puppy playing with the Rottweiler.
Finding a really great pair of sunglasses.
Listening to “Moon River” by Henry Mancini.
Playing crib with Laura and beating her (never happens).
Getting a good night’s sleep.
Pancakes for breakfast.
Hyde Park.
Arriving at an airport for a trip and spending way too much money on reading material.
The smell of my mother's perfume.

Feel free to comment. Maybe some of your happy-things make me happy too, and can fill up the last 15 spots.