Smile Inducers

Back in April, a friend or family member anonymously sent me a deck of writing prompts. I never did figure out who that person was or why they decided to send it. Even worse, I also only used it once. 

What better time than now to use it again?

WD#2: List 50 things that make you smile.

1. Mike, aka Hubby, my husband of almost 27 years. We make each other laugh, and laughter is important.
2. Belle, our 12.5-year-old Brittany. I can’t imagine life without dogs.
3. Zephyr, Aka Z, our 10.5-year-old dog friend. His mom is an EMT/firefighter/paramedic in training who works long, rotating shifts. Z hangs out at our house while Mom is busy doing her hero gig.
4. Frogs. I still haven’t figured out why they make me smile, but they do.
5. Snowmen. How often do you see a snowman that looks sad?
6. Muffler Men. Although, having just watched the movie, It, Chapter Two, I may never look at Muffler Men the same way again. There’s a great scene in the movie where a Paul Bunyan Muffler Man comes to life and tries to eat someone. If you haven’t watched that movie yet, you should. No one does horror stories quite like Steven King.
7. Fun PJs. I’ve never been one for fru-fru nightgowns or lingerie. I’d much rather sleep in an over-sized t-shirt than some sort of frilly, uncomfortable get-up.
8. Cute slippers or slipper socks. My feet get hot, so I go barefoot most of the year. But when temperatures plummet, goofy footwear is the way to go. For me, anyway.
9. Unexpected mail or packages. I really should get back on my send-real-mail bandwagon. Who doesn’t like receiving surprising snail mail from a friend?
10. Succulent plants. They can be quite small, require very little water, and, as a result, are pretty forgiving as plants go. If you have a brown thumb, or just can’t remember to water your plants regularly, get a succulent.
11. Road trips. Even the idea of a road trip, well-planned or not.
12. Clever photos.
13. Dogs in snow boots. They seem frivolous, but are handy when walking dogs in the winter after a snowstorm.
14. Chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.
15. Barn quilts
16. Baby goats
17. Someone spontaneously busting out in song, in public (it usually means that particular person is happy, even if for a brief moment)
18. A good pun, intended or not.
19. Turtles
20. The Birdcage (my favorite Robin Williams movie)
21. Seeing someone else smiling (smiles can be just as contagious as yawns)
22. A good joke
23. Finding money, especially paper banknotes.
24. Solving a psychological puzzle/mental mystery (why people do what they do, when they do it).
25. Hedgehogs
26. Shannon, Amy, and Eric (our kids), all of whom have a pretty good sense of humor.
27. TJ, our first our son-in-law (Amy’s husband)
28. Chris, our second son-in-law (Shannon’s husband)
29. Brianna, Gaige, and Joseph, our grandkids.
30. Seeing a blue sky and big, puffy, white clouds.
31. Sunshine on my face.
32. Kid jokes
33. Poorly translated product instructions.
34. Handmade gifts
35. Little House on the Prairie
36. PhotoShop disasters
37. Silly selfies
38. Kitschy roadside attractions
39. Creative signage
40. Riding my motorcycle or driving Mike’s zippy convertible on a curvy mountain road.
41. Daily memes received via text from a special friend
42. Finishing a sewing project, big or small.
43. Puppy pictures
44. Mipso (my favorite band)
45. Cows
46. Snow
47. Well-behaved children
48. Creative uses of the ef word
49. Interesting street art
50. Logging off my work computer for the day.

That took MUCH longer than I expected! And I’m sure I left off some important stuff. Smiles and laughter are important to have in your life, no matter where their source.