Jewlsntexas' Chicken Soup

I saw this unique post at my friend fatty's blog - and I had to participate. Life has indeed been stressful these past few weeks - wonderful and stressful at the same time. It is so good to be home - the place where you can let your hair down, and your - well you know what you let down when you take your bra off, and put your feet up, and where you don't have to always pick your socks up - but sometimes you get to pick up the socks of other people - and I don't think I am feeling so de-stressed anymore - well maybe di-stressed is exactly what I'm feeling. Anyway - fatty inspired me to post about the things that make me feel most relaxed, guaranteed smile makers, my "chicken soup" if you will.

• listening to Norah Jones
• the smell of baking bread
• sitting on the porch swing with nothing else to do
  
• the sound of chirping birds
• a long soaking rain when I don't have to leave the house
• lit candles - preferably the jar kind smelling like cake or candy - no flowers please!
  
• an email from a friend about nothing in particular
• iced coffee (a new pleasure)
• hearing my children's side-splitting laughter - altogether
• a phone call from my hubby in the middle of the day with no specific purpose
• old stuff - rusty, junk, chipped, peeling, splintery stuff used to decorate my house
• making new friends - getting to know a new person one layer at a time, and knowing now what I enjoy in people better than ever

These are only a few - but they are the ones that I am most enjoying right now. What puts a smile on your face?