100th post! It Makes Me Happy...

Hi everyone!

This is my 100th post. A momentous occasion! When I started this over a year ago, I don't think I expected to keep it up this long. And yes, there have been long dry spells. Typos. Tears. (Maybe not tears, but a lot of frustration with internet at least). And it all worked out so far.

This past week, I've been thinking of something big to post about for my centennial post. (is it centennial if its the 100th, or is that 100 years? I'm not sure). I spent a good portion of my time wondering, and finally decided that I don't have anything super huge.

And then today I came home from Feast. And my heart was smiling! And when I got to my room, my roommate got to hear me gush about all the random things that are making me happy. I decided to write it down, on my favorite medium (sorry blog): Yellow legal paper. My plan was to carry around my list in my pocket and add to it as I find things to make me happy.

Rest assured that I'm not trying to quantify happiness. I think its a combination of my love of list making and that huge feeling of gratitude that washes over you when you see that with almost no thinking you have this huge list of things that you're blessed with. I look at that list and think "I'm such a lucky person. I have all of these things to be grateful for" and its just this happy...ness. Try it sometime. Because I bet you that even if you're having a sucky crap day, you can come up with a list. Because these things don't have to be big. Number three on today's list is "squishy firetrucks". I'm not talking top 10 here. I'm talking top as-many-as-you-want.

How does this relate to your blog?? You may ask. And so I don't have a SuperEvent that makes my 100th blog special. But looking at your life and thinking "I like it! I'm happy!" is something to write home about. And so here's the deal: I'm going to start an online version of It Makes Me Happy. I'm not going to explain a lot of the things. So if you want to hear about them, you have to get interactive (this is the fun part)! It can be as easy as leaving a comment like "#3!" (anonymously, if you so desire) or as in depth as an essay (please include the bibliography). I'll read comments (I do that anyway, rather obsessively actually) and then go into a little more detail about whichever numbers you want in my next It Makes Me Happy post. That way, my dear readers, YOU can decide what I talk about (efficacy! Great, huh?) and I get to continue what I love doing: making lists!

Here's the first installment:

It Makes Me Happy

1. Broomball Games
2. Getting texts from Elika
3. Squishy Firetrucks
4. Going to Feast
5. Sending packages
6. NPR podcasts
7. Unity and harmony in Barenaked Ladies songs
8. Unexpired milk
9. The folks in Nerland
10. Bollywood movies
11. Being remembered by people who I didn't think remembered me
12. Free hot dogs
13. My sister
14. Getting Mail
15. Cute relationships between friends
16. Bunk beds
17. Talking with Ecuadorians
18. Deep rock climbing discussions
19. Liver and onions
20. Regina Spektor
21. Goldfish at the Tilly

Don't forget to write comments on which you want to hear more about!