Things that made me happy yesterday

So I should preface this post by saying that I'm still recovering from the stomach virus and don't feel great to begin with, plus I miss not only the beauty of Cape Town but of course I very much miss my friends... While it is good to be home, I wasn't exactly happy yesterday morning...

Top 10 list:

1) Happy dogs - Waking up in the morning to a dog that is so thrilled you're up that she makes her mouth into a funnel, exhales and makes that gentle "aahhooo" sound that I love, then squeezes herself as close to me as possible for morning cuddles

2) The sun - you can see the hills and the mountains and all the different greens are amazing - the weather is perfect right now

3) Working in a friendly department - I lost several hours yesterday catching up with 2 of our 5 staff members and 5 of the other 12 faculty members. The only reason more aren't on that list is they are the only ones I saw in the building yesterday!

4) Fresh food - even though I had no appetite, knowing there were healthy options across the street from work was great, and the fresh fruit and soy smoothie I had for lunch hit the spot and was the first thing I've had all week that didn't irritate my stomach. It was so good I managed a blueberry-lemon muffin after it! (the most flavorful and rich food I've had all week)

5) Friendly people - ever had a construction worker stop you to ask how your day is going? Not to whistle - but to strike up a conversation? He went on to explain the progress of the project and was totally nice

6) Construction - speaking of the construction, it was so cool to see the new lecture hall and classrooms being constructed after all the committee work and plans that went into that this past year! It's actually happening :)

7) Open windows - I can leave my porch door at home totally open and let the fresh air in, no worries about burglary - oh yeah, and no bars on the windows either!!! (7.5 - taking a walk with Audrey yesterday and leaving the house unlocked - no worries in this town!)

8) Open fields - the field across the street from my house was a great place to play frisbee with audrey when I got home after dark - and I could stand their safely in total darkness, looking up at the vast stars, enjoying the fresh air

9) Feeling organized - I went to the co-op yesterday and thought, shoot, I forgot to bring the milk jugs for return - then found that in July I had put them in my shopping bag that I keep in the car, so when I pulled that out I had the happy surprise of feeling on top of things

10) Happy cats - it wouldn't be fair to put Audrey on the list and not my boys. They wanted non-stop cuddling my first day back and have now settled more into a routine, though they are waking me up a lot at night wanting to cuddle a bit too much, but it is sweet having two purring little bodies around

So, as you could guess, by the end of the day I was happy! I still couldn't stomach much dinner, and I still miss my friends, but I am very happy to be home...

I have to amend this post - the next morning brings two more things:

11) Beautiful paths - Audrey and I enjoyed a walk in the paths in my neighborhood today - I forgot how peaceful and nice it is. We also saw several friendly people along the walk, and Audrey enjoyed wallowing in a mud puddle then bathing in the creek :)

12) Ease of getting around - my car is due in for service and will be at the shop all day Wed. I thought, what will I do without a car all day? How will I get around and to work? Then I though - oh yeah, DUH! I can walk! This town is so small :) It may be a bit far from the service shop to work, but there are buses, too... It won't be a problem at all!