10 things that make me happy - in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!(tagged by Incessant Ramblings)

1. Animals - my cats Basil & Shea. I wrote a whole post about them the other day. They bring so much laughter and love to my life. I'd be lost without them. The horses at the stables where Sian rides and I do RDA..... I love everything about horses, the smell, the sound, the feel of them. A wonderful cure for stresses and worries. Any passing friendly dog in the street who will let me stop him for a cuddle and a quick chat.

2. My camera. At long last I have found a creative outlet in my life. It's also something I can share with Phil, after years and years of it being something he did that just annoyed the hell out of me!! I have met some great friends through photography and I've also managed to earn some money out of wedding photography. This stresses the hell out of me but the high you get when the couple love their photos is unbelievable. I love how my camera (s) look & feel - like friends.

3. My husband Phil (is he a thing??) we've had plenty of ups and downs but he is my rock. Not the affectionate or romantic type, he's nevertheless the centre of my world.When things are crap he helps me put things in perspective. He's my opposite in many ways which is just as well, as one like me in any relationship is more than enough!

4. The cinema. Oh, I love the movies! The thrill of settling down in your big comfy seat as the lights dim and the Pearl & Dean music starts. I like films generally but seeing them in the cinema is the best.

5. The first day of a holiday. It's great, you've unpacked and the whole holiday is still ahead. All that anticipation. it's hard to beat.There have been no disappointing days, no cries of "I'm bored!" or "Not ANOTHER National Trust house, PLEASE!!!" After about a week of a two-week break I start to get depressed about the holiday being nearly over! Christmas Eve has that same joyful anticipation untainted by grim reality. Maybe what I'm really saying makes me happy is ANTICIPATION!

6. The colour blue. I just love it. I am so drawn to blue in photos, pictures, scenes. Blue sea, blue skies, blue eyes...blue flowers, so rare and so varied. Blue light as in the photo above.

7. Pottering - oh, I could write a book on the joys of pottering. Pottering (as opposed to vegging out) is how I like to relax. I am known to hug myself and do a little dance of glee with the prospect of a day's pottering ahead of me. Indoor pottering (tidying kitchen cupboards or going through my wardrobe, a bit of gentle baking, maybe cleaning the silver & brass)or outdoor pottering (weeding, planting flowers in pots, pruning)Never underestimate the potential pleasures of a day with nothing much to do and all day to do it in. The fact that it is rare that I don't have a whole list of urgent tasks to cram into a couple of hours makes it all the more joyfilled.

8. Our home. When I read on the news about people losing their homes it fills me with horror. I know that things are just things and life is about more than possessions but my home is my haven, my safe refuge. It's just an ordinary little house on an ordinary little street in an unremarkable village in Cheshire, but it's HOME.

9. My daughters. Well, they sometimes read my blog and if I left them out while putting the cats IN they'd give me hell. Last night for some reason we got out the baby photo albums. How is it possible those two cute and cuddly babies are now beautful teenagers? (and as a sidenote how is it possible I have had so many bad hairdos and pairs of glasses???) I was never the maternal type, didn't really like or understand children, I had my first baby rather because it seemed to be expected. I rather enjoyed being pregnant but nothing prepares you for the shock of actually producing a whole other person, does it? After a couple of shaky years I settled into motherhood and now I am astonished only at how much I love them. And how happy they make me. I like them both so much too.

10. The internet. Yes, I know it can be a thing of evil but it has brought ME so much happiness. Friendships for one - some of my closest friends live on other continents, I would never have met them without the internet. Imagine...my life without K, A and T - no, I can't imagine it! The friends I've made through blogging and online forums, the fun of Facebook - the internet is like a window on the world. So much information so readily available. I can shop at midnight in my dressing gown, check weather reports and cinema times - amazing! I could equally write a post about why the internet makes me unhappy but today I'm looking on the positive side of life - for once!

Now I've reached the end I'm thinking of all the other things I could have mentioned like friends, work, volunteering, books, music, walks, margaritas....I could go on and on. Life is really full of things that make me happy and it's nice to be reminded of that from time to time. I'm only going to tag Quiet Rage as she is so great at telling us what makes her cross but if anyone else fancies doing this, please let me know so i can read your choices.