Name some trivial things that make you happy

IcedNote · Post by **IcedNote** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:15 pm

This will be a nice antidote to my "pet peeve" thread that pops up every now and again.

And hey...being happy is the spirit of the holidays! Or something...

- Opening the dictionary to the correct page when looking for a word.

- After looking up a word, actually encounter it again the same day.

- Seeing old couples hold hands.

- Having a traffic light turn green just as I'm approaching.

- A nice cold Coca-Cola Classic with a roast beef sandwich.

-G

living_stradivarius · Post by **living_stradivarius** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:24 pm

All the above +

Babies laughing at random things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_mBLWpdwnI

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:36 pm

Dawn and sunset

Watering/tending the garden

Fresh mangos

Meeting a happy dog

Getting a sentence or passage of ancient Greek without looking it up first

Old books

piston · Post by **piston** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:24 pm

When the dog gives me the ball, instead of hogging it.....

piston · Post by **piston** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:28 pm

Fresh mangos

The first time I had a fresh mango, around December 10, 1988, plucked from a street vendor in Sydney for a breakfast feast, I knew not about this fruit and just sunk my teeth into it, swallowing the green/reddish skin along with the pulp. Hmmm. It didn't take me long to realize that the skin was a powerful laxative.......

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:56 pm

piston wrote:
Fresh mangos
The first time I had a fresh mango, around December 10, 1988, plucked from a street vendor in Sydney for a breakfast feast, I knew not about this fruit and just sunk my teeth into it, swallowing the green/reddish skin along with the pulp. Hmmm. It didn't take me long to realize that the skin was a powerful laxative.......

One always learns something new on this board...

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:29 pm

The smell of onions, garlic, and celery that have been cooking in soup all day. The aroma fills the house and says "comfort" and "home" to me. It was one of the things I missed most when my mother could no longer cook.

HoustonDavid · Post by **HoustonDavid** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:49 pm

The fleeting sight of lovely LARGE winter snowflakes in Houston.

Not having to go out or drive in it.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:58 am

Getting a smile when I say "Thank you, sir (or ma'am)," for a small kindness.
The smell of bread baking.
A tail waggin' dog.
Eating things that only I seem to know go together well--like a handful of roasted, unsalted cashews with a juicy orange.

Madame · Post by **Madame** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:36 am

Honey Crisp apples.

Good jokes.

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 5:58 am

A year ago, I started what I wish to become something of a yearly ritual with younger grand-children: to have them "cash in" a piggy bank at the coin machine of the local grocery store so that they'll have money they can use for Christmas gifts. My spouse and I gradually fill Mr. Piggy with our loose change during the course of the preceding twelve months. You should have seen little Hunter's eyes when I emptied the content of that bank in the machine! It's a useful labor-saving technology, even though the machine in question swallows up 15 percent of the money. I wouldn't want to have to roll all of that.

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:18 am

Corlyss_D wrote:The smell of onions, garlic, and celery that have been cooking in soup all day. The aroma fills the house and says "comfort" and "home" to me. It was one of the things I missed most when my mother could no longer cook.

My paternal family used to can vegetables on the farm in September. One such domestic product was called Macédoine de légumes, a term still used in France but for a different product. In Québec, this Macédoine consisted of a variety of diced vegetables, along with tomato juice, canned to later serve as a base for soups, in chicken broth. The corresponding aroma was exquisite. Incidentally, all of these canned vegetables, such as corn, tomatoes, beans, macedoine, etc., were far more tasty than the canned veggies currently offered on grocery shelves. From the garden to the aluminum can to the boiling water in a single day! My dad used to purchase several large boxes of these empty metal cans. Bet you that sort of business has become obsolete!

pizza · Post by **pizza** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:22 am

A dish of Ben & Jerry's on a sizzling hot day

, and a shot of Yukon Jack on a freezing cold one!

Scott Morrison · Post by **Scott Morrison** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:42 am

The first cup of coffee in the morning.

Hearing the Aria of the Goldberg Variations which always holds out the promise, usually fulfilled, of utter bliss for the next hour. (Unless, of course, it's the repeat of the Aria at the end.)

Teresa B · Post by **Teresa B** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:28 am

My son getting a haircut

My little poodle reclining under the piano listening to me play

I still have my Barbie doll from 1961 (She's displayed at my office in a little white doctor coat, which wasn't produced until 1980

)

Playing Bach 2-Part Inventions, esp. no 8

Words that embody their meaning, like "noun", "curt", and "supererogatory"

Threads like this one!

Teresa

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:21 pm

Snowy or wildly stormy days with fierce winds whipping around the house if I can pile up in bed with a good book and my critters.

IcedNote · Post by **IcedNote** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:46 pm

- Two pounds of cinnamon bears in my room.

- Having the wind at my back while biking to/from campus.

- Good students...because good papers are so much easier to grade.

-G

HoustonDavid · Post by **HoustonDavid** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:11 pm

Seeing my children strive really hard to succeed at something, then basking in the afterglow when they do.

The uplifting and unquestioning support of true friends, the ones you can count on one hand.

The part of her life my cat deigns to give to me.

Knowing my friend and neighbor is away from home so I can turn up my sound system to the proper level.

Looking forward to the first time I hear Dame Joan Sutherland sing "Twelve Days of Christmas" every year.

The old saying: "Life should not be measured by the number of breaths you take but the number of times it takes your breath away." Amen

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:32 pm

Hearing from my son about something that went well for him.

Seeing my students do well, especially those who have had to struggle.

Winning for my pro bono clients.

Hearing great music.

Reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dim sum

Imagining Corlyss visiting me here.

jbuck919 · Post by **jbuck919** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:56 pm

You've got an interesting concept of "trivial" there, Ralph.

Doing an EZ-Pass end run around the people waiting in line to pay toll. Gives me a little thrill every time.

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 5:18 pm

jbuck919 wrote:You've got an interesting concept of "trivial" there, Ralph.

Doing an EZ-Pass end run around the people waiting in line to pay toll. Gives me a little thrill every time.

*****

Major pleasures for me are

Obama consulting me on National Security issues

Thinking about winning the new Nobel Prize for Forum Posting

Imagining Corlyss and Saul marooned on a desert island

Getting rid of colleagues I can't stand

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 5:54 pm

Iced water on a hot day.

Second hand book browsing - and buying.

Picking bananas from our own banana tree.

----------------

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:52 pm

For me, visiting second-hand bookstores is a major life joy!!

IcedNote · Post by **IcedNote** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:13 pm

Ralph wrote:For me, visiting second-hand bookstores is a major life joy!!

Absolutely! Nothing like finding an interesting book that you didn't even know existed. Well, that and I just like buying used books...since it makes it feel like they have some character.

And the discounted prices help, too...

-G

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:32 pm

Booting into Linux after using Windows.

Spider-webs with dew. Pretty - and I don't walk into 'em and get an angry bag of biting poison down my shirt.

Crimson rosellas

Hand-made chocolate with freshly ground Illy coffee and whipped cream

Wiping out hordes of virtual zombies & mutant monsters

Silence broken by the sound of a kookaburra

Young's Luxury Double-chocolate Stout

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:13 pm

Reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True! You've got close to two weeks of vacation and it's raining most of the time. Get up in the morning with a rebellious attitude: "Why the hell did I choose this time to enjoy life? It's pissy!! Have coffee. Do your things. Settle down in a sheltered area with a good book.

Four hours later .... the rain no longer matters.

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:28 pm

HI all! I'm brand new to the board, although I have been lurking for quite some time prior to deciding to become a member. This is a great thread to start posting in.
My favorite little things are:

My son singing when he thinks no one is around.
My daughter's art.
Traditional Christmas music of all types.
Fresh tart lemonade.
My cat nuzzling my neck.

BWV 1080 · Post by **BWV 1080** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:31 pm

Jean wrote:HI all! I'm brand new to the board, although I have been lurking for quite some time prior to deciding to become a member. This is a great thread to start posting in.
My favorite little things are:

My son singing when he thinks no one is around.
My daughter's art.
Traditional Christmas music of all types.
Fresh tart lemonade.
My cat nuzzling my neck.

welcome aboard!

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:34 pm

Absolutely, Jean, welcome!

Kids are wonderful, albeit not so controllable and possibly frustrating too!
Pretty good parallel with cats! So bloody independent!!!!

HoustonDavid · Post by **HoustonDavid** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:22 am

Welcome aboard Jean!!

As you have probably noticed, most CMG board members like to write, and most write pretty well considering it is a blog site. Tell us a little about yourself and where you are from. We seem to range a goodly part of the planet here and always welcome newbies. Your list of "happy" things seems to favour cats and children, not necessarily in that order (at least I hope not). Enjoy yourself and feel free to do more than browse.

David

jbuck919 · Post by **jbuck919** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:09 am

Jean wrote:HI all! I'm brand new to the board, although I have been lurking for quite some time prior to deciding to become a member. This is a great thread to start posting in.
My favorite little things are:

My son singing when he thinks no one is around.
My daughter's art.
Traditional Christmas music of all types.
Fresh tart lemonade.
My cat nuzzling my neck.

Welcome to the Classical Music Guide! I found you talking about avatars and figured your other post was probably on the music board (that's typically where people start), but here you are! Our moderator Corlyss likes to say "post early, post often," whether it's here, on the music board (Chatterbox) or one of the others. And thanks for letting us know something about yourself right away!

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:57 pm

Fixing myself a chocolate pudding. (Just the powder & milk--takes a lotta wristwork, but worth it.)
Reading Archie comics.
Collecting old audio mags. (50s-80s.)
Stray cats who aren't feral.
Singing The Guess Who's "Star Baby" in the shower (along with the recording).
Looking at my K-12 efforts as a cartoonist. (I like my college-age stuff even more.)
Hot chocolate (the real stuff, not "chocolate water").

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:31 am

Jean wrote:HI all! I'm brand new to the board, although I have been lurking for quite some time prior to deciding to become a member. This is a great thread to start posting in.
My favorite little things are:

My son singing when he thinks no one is around.
My daughter's art.
Traditional Christmas music of all types.
Fresh tart lemonade.
My cat nuzzling my neck.

Welcome to the board, Jean. Kick your shoes off and set a spell. Please take a few minutes to introduce yourself in the appropriate thread in the music room. Since John has already given you my standard exhortation, I'm glad to see you got started. We like to see folks hit the board running - Mark Cannon may be the first member to get to 100 posts within hours of registering! You need to beat his mark!

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:30 pm

My latest discovery:

Cold ice-cream floats in the winter. (They're just as good as cocoa.)

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:02 pm

PLEASE allow me use this thread for the purpose of boasting!!!

Our grandson Nicholas will be graduating from high school next year.
(Our school year begins at the end of January because
seasons are reversed here).

Nicholas is a scholarship recipient student at Sydney Grammar. It is
our most academic private school. He is also Captain of Music and Prefect.

Yesterday he was mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald for the High Honours
he had gained in a maths exam which will count toward his graduation results
next year. University entries in Australia are determined by the pass in the
Higher School Certificate exam. So, we are delighted with this result.
It is a good beginning for next year.

Thank you for letting me share our joy with you.

Agnes.

living_stradivarius · Post by **living_stradivarius** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:18 pm

Wallingford wrote:My latest discovery:

Cold ice-cream floats in the winter. (They're just as good as cocoa.)

hmmm i wonder how ice cream + egg nog tastes like

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:59 pm

Watching the birds at my feeder. Looking for new species at my feeder. I was in birder heaven last year when flocks, not one or two, but flocks, of lazuli buntings showed up at my feeder.

Madame · Post by **Madame** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:06 am

Wallingford wrote:My latest discovery:

Cold ice-cream floats in the winter. (They're just as good as cocoa.)

Ice cream floats in the winter? I didn't know that. Cool!

SaulChanukah · Post by **SaulChanukah** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:15 am

Welcome Jean!

Here's my list:

Reading a good book.
Hot Chocolate
Youtube
great music
beautiful art
Delicious cookies with milk/ or coffee.
Pizza
Mixed berry yogurt
Vanilla Milkshake
Moo Goo Chicken (Chinese food)
Shawarma Plate with salads - Israeli Dish
Watching The Lord of the Rings Movies

Madame · Post by **Madame** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:52 am

piston wrote:
Fresh mangos
The first time I had a fresh mango, around December 10, 1988, plucked from a street vendor in Sydney for a breakfast feast, I knew not about this fruit and just sunk my teeth into it, swallowing the green/reddish skin along with the pulp. Hmmm. It didn't take me long to realize that the skin was a powerful laxative.......

Well ... as long as you didn't take a sleeping pill afterward ...

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