#12: Catching Fireflies

Reason to Be Happy #12: Catching Fireflies*

*It should go without saying that you catch and then release the fireflies, right? None of that barbaric crap we did as little kids, trapping them in bottles and trying to "keep" them. Right?

#11 Dogs in Lifejackets

Reason to Be Happy #11: Dogs Wearing Life Jackets

(This is Sofie Neumeister swimming in Summersville Lake, WV)

#10 Family

Reason to Be Happy #10: FAMILY

Feel free to define family how you wish. There is, as they say, the family you’re born with and the family you choose. I’m lucky, so very lucky, to love both of those families with all my heart. My immediate family—my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and the world’s most wonderful niece and nephew—and big sprawling family of relatives—aunts and uncles, cousins, Nana...AND my “chosen” family of friends near and far. They are my tribe. They are fiercely loyal and absolutely nuts. And they have my back when I need them.

Who’s in your tribe? Do they know you love them? Tell them.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

#9 Galao

Reason to Be Happy #9: Galao

Rhymes with "allow." I fell in love with this creamy coffee drink in Portugal.
My record was 5 in one sitting.

(Bit of trivia: I also loved that the Portuguese word for dog was cao (pronounced like "cow"), so every time I left my friends' house I said to their dog, Bear: "Ciao, cao!")

#8 Foxglove

Reason to Be Happy #8: Foxglove

One of the most appropriately named flowers ever, they never fail to conjure up an adorable illustration from a Beatrix Potter story.

Reason to Be Happy #7

Reason to Be Happy #7: My cat Joey

Joey takes Valium, sucks on blankets, and plays with a spatula.
I adore him.

You might enjoy going back to read about how we met...
Or about the time he sat on a cake...

Someday, Joey will star in his own book.

#6 The Smell of Summer (with recipe)

Reason to Be Happy #6: Basil

The smell of basil is the aroma that most perfectly captures "summer" for me.

It also makes me happy to say the Italian word for basil:
basilico
(bah-ZEE-lee-koh)
(isn't that fun?)


PESTO RECIPE
(Given to me by Bill Anderson, the friend who introduced me to this reason to be happy)

Blend the following in a food processor:
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons walnuts (or pine nuts, or pistachios)*
clove garlic**
1/4 cup Parmesan***
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup BASIL leaves packed tight
Serve over pasta, or in risotto, or on fish, or on bread, or in caprice salad...there are few things that can't be made better with some basil pesto!

*oh, come on, only 2 Tablespoons? I always put in a wee fistful
**Seriously? One clove? There's no such thing as too much garlic, in my opinion
***There's also no such thing as too much cheese. Ever. But save some to sprinkle on top, along with toasted pine nuts