Tag, and then I'm It

Morgan Mandel was kind enough to include me in one of her blog games, so here I with my list of six things that make me happy:

1. Spending time with my family. And not just any old time, but good time talking, laughing and truly enjoying the greatest parts of each other.

2. A good book. There is absolutely nothing else in the world as satisfying as a good story. My favorite types come with characters you can sink your teeth into and plots that leave you feeling like you left a part of your own world behind every time you put the book down for even just a minute.

3. Warm, fuzzy socks. I believe it was Albus Dumbledore who once said, "One can ever have enough socks." Fictional, though he may be, he was right.

4. The distinct sound of silence.

5. A good giggle with a friend. I don't care what anyone says. You're never too old to giggle, especially if you're with friends.

6. Writing. Something about putting words on paper has always made me incredibly happy. Even those days that feel frustrating, the act of writing itself is always wonderful enough to make me feel good inside.

Now, according to the rules of this game, I am supposed to tag three of my friends. I pick Mindy, Nikki and Jae. Hopefully, each of them has time to respond in kind. :)

In other news, today was a strange day. For the last two weeks, Ms. Fourteen has been planning a birthday party. It was a huge to do. She had ten guests coming, boys and girls, and after the boys left, the girls were all going to spend the night. She had invited 5 girls and 5 boys. In the end, two girls and three boys showed up. I was a little disturbed by how bored they all seemed to be, but no one really wanted to do anything. They didn't want to play any games (not even games of the video variety...) They had no interest in the table spread of snacks we provided. They didn't even seem to be interested in talking to each other. They just kind of sat there for awhile. Maybe it was because her dad and I were both nearby. They didn't feel like they could be themselves. It's hard to tell. All I know is that even when I was seventeen we had little parties like that all the time right at my parents' house. My parents would be in the next room while eight or ten of us would gather in the kitchen and play crazy games of Uno, Monopoly, Poker or whatever else we came up with.

We easily had a blast just goofing around. Maybe it's just me, but from the outside my daughter has always seemed like she was afraid to just have fun. There's an air of, "what if they laugh at me," surrounding everything. I just hope that despite appearances, they had fun and strengthened their friendships. That's all that really matters in the end.

I got some writing done today, and managed to complete a goal I have been mulling over for about a year. There is a company I have wanted to submit to, but just couldn't bring myself to actually writing an article as sample. After a blog I wrote the other day on the pagan blog I share with Mindy and Nikki, I felt inspired enough to do some revising. After adding a whole section that wasn't here before, I typed up a letter to them, included the article and hit send. It felt good. :)

Now that the house is a little quieter, I think it's time to sneak off to the bath. It's been so cold these last few nights that a long hot soak in the tub sounds like just the thing.

And speaking of Dumbledore, here is the trailer for "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" which better come to a theatre near me before I die, or else.