allielousch - 1,000 Happiness-es, 301+

I am finally in the 300s now of counting 1,000 Happines-es or the things that exercise my "thankful muscle" - still quite wimpy it seems. But I appreciate that you are in this thing with me! Feel free to send in your "thankfuls", too. The list waxes and wanes with some days full of gratitude and weeks when I...blow it off.

I've found that hearing about other people's gratitude mobilizes mine towards exercise. And geez oh Pete - I need the exercise.

You'll find the first 1,000 Happinesses here and links on each page to move you forward. Please add your joy.

301. yoga with Ann & KK (& hopefully Lisa!)

302. Zeke-meister 2000 & his mum over for dinner & Key Lime pie on PI day (03.14.2012)

303. smell of freshly aired bedding

304. a little guy splashing in a tub and a wary cat keeping a wide berth

305. pomegranate, mineral water, & green fin spritzer on a toasty spring evening

306. doing art

307. making beer bread

308. Madi's expert Mole-in-the-Hole toasty/egg directions

309. Kenan's Motivation towards leadership - a thing to admire

310. giggling about something that is true, but may o-ffend the most pure among us (Coffee with Jesus)

311. "higgledy piggledy", "yippy skippy", and "Hot Dog!"

312. grace and freedom

313. a hope that redeems my muck ups - a divine compost pile

314. Air Conditioning - which has gone out in my car...OY!

315. Realizing that I now know the fella (and his wife) in this picture and that they are very lovely

316. remembering one grandma who would dance with me and sing Hello Dolly and the other who made the very best comfort food and had the whitest bun and sharpest wit of anyone else - ever

317. persistence

318. kindness

319. conversations over the patio flowers

320. peppermint sun tea

321. friends at the Alpha Course in Manhappiness

322. yoga, coffee, laughing, rain, saturday

323. It's St. Paddy's not Patty's!

324. Pics of SuperDave & John running in the Aggieville SPD run

325. spring rain

326. running into Winter after yoga!

327. WE DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS- especially the emotional hijackers

328. spring strawberries

329. finally finishing something that has taken too long to finish!

330. smell of fresh basil on the patio

331. seeing the single dad walk his kids up to their mom's house - he's the honking taxi driver that I've been praying for

332. blind cat in a sunny spot

333. Southern spring rains and the fresh smells - post-scouring - that follows

334, date night with baby Zeke

335. Finishing Barbara Brown Taylor's, Leaving Church, and finding this quote, "We speak & sing of divine transformation while we do everything to maintain our equilibrium."

336. KENAN IS COMING TOMORROW!

337. Conversations with Madi about her coming this summer!

338. Haiku

339. "What you get by achieving your goals is as important as what you become by achieving your goals." - Henry David Thoreau

340. giggling - thought #336. said "JESUS IS COMING TOMORROW!"- my 1st thought was, well, how about that?

341. Kenan here for hiking, kayaking, ziplining, and shenanigans

342. the time with Kenan was so rich and good, I have no tears to cry

343. zipping through the trees with kenan & talking about how cool it will be to race through the canopy with Madi

344. goofiness...i'm a big fan

345. midnight showings of good movies in terrific company (half of Adventures was there!)

346. knowing that my children are leading me at times - their wisdom, wit, and mad kayaking skills call me forward

347. hope

348. when a long-hidden truth is revealed - the unveiling of a mystery

349. Saturday morning yoga with Ann & Lisa with a coffee & conversation chaser

350. This good spring day.

351. A red rocking chair on the patio

352. finding treasures on the beach with Madi & now Kenan

353. one step closer to doing...ahem...Finishing my taxes

354. a blind cat that is a whiz at snapping flies

355. beverages on the patio with my neighbor - bundled in blankets and stars

356. the life that is waiting my neighbor; she is very sweet!

357. the beauty of the people I met in the Dominican Republic

358. team from Williamsburg Christian Academy

359. the blessing of the bucket bath/shower after a long hot day

360. unparalleled hospitality in unexpected places

361. knowing that i have a Dominican hermano & hermanas

362. time with connie rock on an island with lots of laughing

363. COFFEE CON LECHE (I'm a big fan.)

364. Yucca as food

365. Visiting the Senior Center in Villa Mella

366. And driving back to Iglesia Cristianna Bendicion in the back of a truck!

367. Kristen T-T's notes-a-day kindness & sorting out the receipts...

368. Dominican driving!

369. Going to the movies with Linda, my neighbor

370. Football, steaks, conversation and beverages with Bill & Joe

371. "God doesn't call us to missions, ministry, or a vocation. He calls us to himself and out of the intimacy of that relationship comes life and direction." - Bill Britton

372. Watching the entire theater of guys stand up and cheer following the Expendables2 trailer

373. Looking back and seeing though the grace was harsh, it was sure and freedom has filled in places that were broken and bleak

374. Eating Extreme Moose Tracks for lunch, dinner...breakfast

375. Finally getting my AC fixed...and the faith that must follow in watching for a provision (oy.)

376. Good news

377. Fresh water

378. freshly planted flowers

379. cool breeze after a hot day

380. anticipation

381. crossing that thing off of my to do list

382. tossing my to do list in the recycling bag

383. finding a small way to start recycling at Adventures (thank you, Betty!)

384. farm fresh eggs

385. birds on the feeder

386. the cat's accidental face-plant on the door while trying to get to birds on the feeder

387. my sister, Mimi

388. the color red

389. organically grown apples - yum!

390. that the Hall County Farmers' Market is set to open soon!

391. that Ryan has finished his classes towards his degree at Georgia Tech (way to go, Ryan!)

392. artful photography (http://chelseadonohophotography.com/ or http://labrisaphoto.blogspot.com/)

393. a good book re-found (like a good old friend)

394. having sara choe camp out here for a week & getting to know her better (Yay!)

395. knowing that most people will never read this, but that's okay, it's worth the doing

396. Donald Miller's writing & the reverse confessional in Blue Like Jazz

397. Screen version of Blue Like Jazz, honest, unapologetic, and real life Jesus

398. the chutzpah of finally getting Blue Like Jazz to theaters-thoughtful and poetic

399. my new red cheesy rocking chair on the porch; though it doesn't match my decor, it rocks.

400. this picture of the team praying for Pastor Juan, his family, the church, and all the mystery of what God has in store for these folks - host church & team...