Happiness Is…

…standing at my kitchen sink, in a pool of afternoon summer sunlight, peeling boiled brown and green eggs laid by my neighbor’s chickens. Cool water sprays over my hands, while the backlit drops distract me from my peeling. The eggs are for mom’s potato salad recipe, on the counter behind me, for us to take to a picnic tonight.

…my mom phoning early in the morning to get pointers from me on how to make apricot jam.

…Abby yelping “poop’s coming!” and actually making it to the potty, and not the Lego bin.

…a new fabric store in town.

… Ree Drummond’s recipes. Oh my stars, if you haven’t found her, you are missing out on one of the finer things in life.

… finally making progress on a very challenging painting for a family friend.

…hearing the sprinklers come on before the sun comes up, and knowing the day will be here soon, but enjoying the calm, quiet coolness before it all starts.

…crushed ice cubes chinkling in my glass fill with cane-sugar Mexican Coke. Reminds me of my grandma. The taste is as different as night and day, and I know why she complained to high heaven when Coke changed the formula.

…reading a book to child who woke in the middle of the night for a glass of water, and just needs a little Curious George to calm down and drift back to sleep.

…jam making season.

…living so close to so many farms, where I can get fresh organic produce for really cheap, and my kids can pick their own vegetables.

…seeing a tractor loaded to the sky with hay, hazards blinking as he moseys down the road, on our way to school in the morning.

…having a blessedly cool spell when your air-conditioner dies.

…homemade English muffins for breakfast. Beanie ate five of them. Best with butter and strawberry jam.